About this episode

Robert Jenrick discusses Reform UK's strategy in response to a potential Burnham-led government and the implications for the party's future.

Makerfield has proved to be the making of Andy Burnham’s bid for the top job, but could it also be the moment that Nigel Farage’s ambitions for Number 10 took a knock? While Reform UK continues to lead the national polls, it failed to capture the Greater Manchester seat last week and was beaten into third place by the Conservatives, the party it’s seeking to replace, in two Scottish by-elections. Is the wind going off Reform’s sails just as Labour hopes to revive its fortunes under a new prime minister, who is being dubbed the "Reform slayer" after his by-election victory? In this bonus interview edition of Westminster Insider, Anne McElvoy talks to Robert Jenrick, Reform’s Treasury Spokesman, about how Reform will respond to a Burnham-led government. The former Conservative minister and leadership candidate left his party earlier this year, claiming that he wanted to “unite the Right”. Following a dispute with Reform's Zia Yusuf over the party's policy on the deportation of migrants, Jenrick is trying to carve out a distinctive position on economic policy, including a new "big bang" for the City of London. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Anne McElvoy

Guest: Robert Jenrick

Topics covered

• politics
• elections
• economic policy
• Reform UK
• Labour party
• interview

Keywords

• Reform UK
• Andy Burnham
• Robert Jenrick
• politics
• elections
• economic policy
• Labour party
• Conservatives
• Nigel Farage

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Reform UK, Conservatives, Labour

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• Burnham wins: Inside the Makerfield by-election · June 19, 2026 · 35 min
• Andy Burnham: the man who wants to be PM · June 13, 2026 · 24 min

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