Farage's Reform UK Faces Setback in Makerfield

Andy Burnham crushed Reform UK in the Makerfield by-election, winning with 54% of the vote — a massive 24,000+ votes — while Nigel Farage’s party came in second with 34%. Farage, who’d been optimistic after strong local election results, admitted disappointment over falling short of his target, blaming Burnham’s campaign — framed as a vote against Keir Starmer — for the loss. He still pushed voters to reconsider, positioning Reform UK as the main alternative to the left. Meanwhile, Reform UK also underperformed in Scotland’s by-elections, though Farage noted the irony of Conservative wins in Aberdeen South amid past North Sea budget decisions. Despite the setback, Farage signaled Reform UK isn’t backing down — urging voters to think strategically ahead of the next polls. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/f3fbd7b154aa908d