Restore Britain’s Role in Labour’s Makerfield Victory: A Tale of Right-Wing Division

In the high-stakes Makerfield by-election on 18 June 2026, Labour held onto the Greater Manchester seat despite significant challenges from Reform UK. Many analysts point to Restore Britain, the new right-wing party led by Rupert Lowe, as a key factor that inadvertently helped Labour’s candidate, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, secure the win.

Background: A Safe Labour Seat Turns Competitive

Makerfield has long been a Labour stronghold. In the 2024 general election, Labour’s Josh Simons won with 18,202 votes (45.2%), ahead of Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon on 12,803 votes (31.8%), giving a majority of 5,399.  However, the political landscape shifted dramatically by 2026. Poor national polling for Labour under Keir Starmer, combined with Reform UK’s strong performance in local elections—where they reportedly dominated wards in the constituency—made Makerfield a prime target for the right.

The by-election was triggered by Simons’ resignation, widely seen as a move to create a path for Andy Burnham to enter Parliament amid speculation about a future Labour leadership challenge. Burnham’s personal popularity in the North West was Labour’s strongest asset in what many predicted could be a Reform gain.

Enter Restore Britain: Splitting the Right

Rupert Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth who split from Reform UK, launched Restore Britain as a more hardline alternative. The party emphasizes low taxes, secure borders, national pride, and opposition to “woke ideology.” In May 2026, they selected local businesswoman Rebecca Shepherd as their candidate for Makerfield.

Lowe positioned Restore Britain as a genuine voice for communities feeling abandoned, criticizing both major parties and even Reform. The party ran an energetic campaign, including major canvassing events that drew supporters from across the country.

The presence of both Reform UK (again with Robert Kenyon) and Restore Britain created a classic vote-splitting scenario on the right. Commentators and social media users repeatedly warned that votes for Shepherd would come primarily at Reform’s expense, handing the seat to Labour.

How the Split Likely Delivered Labour the Win

While full results are still fresh, early indications suggest Restore Britain’s intervention was decisive. In a seat where the combined right-wing vote in 2024 already pressured Labour heavily, dividing that anti-Labour sentiment allowed Burnham to win with a reduced but sufficient share.

•  Reform UK remained the main challenger but fell short of the swing needed.

•  Restore Britain siphoned off enough votes—potentially thousands, as Lowe had predicted—to prevent a unified right-wing surge.

•  Burnham’s local profile and campaign focus on “change” within Labour helped consolidate enough traditional support.

This outcome echoes historical by-elections where fragmented opposition benefited the incumbent party. For Restore Britain, the result serves as both validation of their appeal and a lesson in the challenges of third-party politics in first-past-the-post systems.

Broader Implications

The Makerfield result highlights deepening fractures on the British right. Lowe’s party, still in its infancy, has demonstrated the ability to mobilize grassroots enthusiasm and influence outcomes, even without winning. It also underscores Labour’s vulnerabilities: without the right-wing split, Burnham’s path to Westminster—and potentially higher office—might have been blocked.

For Reform UK, the episode raises questions about managing competition from even harder-line challengers. For voters in Makerfield and beyond, it reflects frustration with the two-party system and a desire for alternatives that “restore” a sense of national identity and practical governance.

As British politics fragments further, Makerfield may be remembered as the by-election where Restore Britain’s ambition to challenge the establishment indirectly propped it up. Whether this was a one-off or a sign of things to come will depend on how these new forces evolve ahead of the next general election.

The campaign exposed raw tensions in post-industrial towns, but the vote-splitting dynamic ensured continuity—for now.

And Restore supporter will say it’s a win even if Labour wins they don’t care about this country path or they care about its to destroy Farage’s Refrom party