Andy Burnham secured a striking 54.82% of the vote in Makerfield, surpassing Labour's 2024 and 2019 general election results. Reform UK's candidate saw a slight increase but fell short of expectations, while Liberal Democrats and Greens received minimal votes, highlighting tactical voting trends.
Nigel Farage urged Restore Britain voters to switch to Reform UK after a "disappointing" by-election result in Makerfield. Reform's candidate came second but was far behind winner Andy Burnham. Farage expressed concern over votes lost to Restore and called for unity behind Reform as the main challenger party.
Andy Burnham secured a significant victory in the Makerfield by-election, winning by a large majority. His win is seen as a potential turning point and a challenge to Keir Starmer's leadership, with Burnham expressing a desire for more power for the north and a new politics based on unity.
Andy Burnham secured a significant victory in the Makerfield by-election, winning by a large majority. The Greater Manchester mayor's win is seen as a potential challenge to Keir Starmer's leadership of the Labour party, with Burnham emphasizing a call for change and more power for neglected regions.
A new hard-right party, Restore Britain, led by Rupert Lowe and reportedly backed by Elon Musk, is challenging Nigel Farage's Reform UK. The party aims to attract anti-immigrant voters and is contesting a special election in Makerfield.
Tactical voting is key for Labour's Andy Burnham in Makerfield, with Green and Lib Dem supporters backing him. Reform's rival, Restore Britain, faces a challenge as its voters are less willing to switch, potentially splitting the right-wing vote.
The Mail on Sunday has launched a fierce attack on Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain party, labeling it a "white supremacy summit" host and "new home for neo-Nazis." This move highlights the fracturing of the British right-wing press, with titles like the Daily Mail and Telegraph taking different approaches to emerging far-right factions.
Nigel Farage announced plans to ban foreign nationals from social housing and deport those unable to find private accommodation, intensifying anti-immigration rhetoric ahead of the Makerfield byelection. This move comes amid polls showing Reform UK losing support to the more extremist Restore Britain.
Reform UK's Makerfield byelection candidate, Robert Kenyon, has faced criticism for sharing a video endorsing Ant Middleton, a former soldier and TV presenter known for controversial views. Middleton has made anti-Muslim comments and has been linked to far-right figures. The endorsement comes amid pressure from the Restore Britain party in the same contest.
Elon Musk has amplified anti-immigration rhetoric amid riots in Belfast, reposting statements from a hard-right party leader advocating for migrant deportations and sharing protest locations. The unrest followed a knife attack by a Sudanese refugee, with rioters targeting immigrant communities. Musk's actions are noted as a risk factor in SpaceX's IPO filings.
A new far-right party, Restore Britain, led by Rupert Lowe, is challenging Nigel Farage's Reform UK by adopting even more extreme anti-immigration stances. This split could impact upcoming UK elections, particularly a key by-election in Makerfield.
A week of online clashes escalated tensions between Reform and Restore in the Makerfield byelection, involving Elon Musk, Nigel Farage, Robert Jenrick, leaked messages and resurfaced posts linked to candidate Paul Kenyon.
Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain, backed by online influencers like Elon Musk and Zach Hoyt, gains unexpected traction in the Makerfield by-election, threatening Nigel Farage's Reform UK from the right.
Elon Musk's endorsement of the fringe party Restore Britain, founded by former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe, is causing concern for Reform UK. Restore Britain is reportedly taking support from Reform, potentially aiding Labour's Andy Burnham in the upcoming Makerfield by-election.
Elon Musk's endorsement of the far-right party Restore Britain, founded by Rupert Lowe, could inadvertently help Labour win the Makerfield byelection by splitting the right-wing vote. Restore's 'remigration' policy and Lowe's anti-immigrant rhetoric are causing concern.
A Guardian investigation has found that more than £50m of UK taxpayer money from the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) has gone to 14 US tech companies and venture capital groups over the past two years. The agency, created by Dominic Cummings to fund "crazy" ideas and restore Britain's scientific superpower status, has faced criticism over its international spending. One recipient, Rain Neuromorphics (backed by Sam Altman's OpenAI), was reportedly near collapse last year after receiving ARIA funding. ARIA maintains over 80% of funding goes to UK-based teams, but critics including the Commons science and technology committee chair Chi Onwurah question how US venture capital investments meet the agency's legal requirement to benefit the UK.
Restore Britain, a new political party founded by ex-Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe, has refunded donations worth approximately £26,000 from Britain Token, an anonymous memecoin project. Labour MP Phil Brickell has urged the Electoral Commission to investigate whether the donation from the unidentifiable crypto developers is permissible under UK election laws. The party, endorsed by Elon Musk and polling at 3%, has gone beyond legal requirements to process the refund. The UK government announced plans last month to ban cryptocurrency donations to political parties over concerns about donor anonymity.
Labour has criticised Reform UK's candidate vetting as 'clearly not fit for purpose' after two more candidates in May's local elections were accused of making racist and anti-Islam social media posts. Alan Stay, standing in the Isle of Wight, shared explicitly racist content, while Caroline Panetta in Bexley retweeted anti-Islam comments including about Mayor Sadiq Khan. Meanwhile, Restore Britain, the party founded by ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe, accepted a donation from Miles Routledge who posted 'by 2039 we'll have another Hitler to lead another great uprising'.
