By-Electioncast: Everything You Need To Know About Makerfield

Today, the Makerfield by-election has been confirmed for June 18th 2026, and this is the first episode in a new mini-series following the contest as it gets underway. Adam is joined by Luke Tryl, director of More in Common UK, and Kevin Fitzpatrick, political reporter for BBC Radio Manchester, to delve deeper into Makerfield, and to look at how the race is shaping up with the candidates who have been announced so far. A full list of candidates and loads more information about the Makerfield by-election is available on the BBC News website.You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscordGet in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.New episodes are released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenter was Adam Fleming. It was made by Miranda Slade with Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The social producer was Jem Westgate. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.