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The Guardian Politics19 Jun 2026

Labour peer and Reform MP clash over ‘brown people’ and domestic abuse

Thangam Debbonaire and Sarah Pochin argue in Sky News interview at Makerfield byelection count UK politics live – latest updates The Labour peer Thangam Debbonaire has clashed with Reform UK’s Sarah Pochin at the Makerfield byelection count, asking the MP: “You don’t like being on television with brown people, do you Sarah?” The row erupted during a testy interview on Sky News that included an exchange about the £5m personal gift that Nigel Farage accepted from Thailand-based crypto billionair

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics19 Jun 2026

What next for Andy Burnham? Five key questions after Makerfield win

Labour veteran is expected to launch a leadership bid, but some critics feel he is yet to clarify his policy positions UK politics – live updates This piece is extracted from our First Edition newsletter. To sign up, click here Andy Burnham is heading back to the Commons after a resounding victory in Makerfield, putting Keir Starmer’s leadership on notice – and giving Reform something to think about. The – now to be former – mayor of Greater Manchester described it as the “most consequential

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics19 Jun 2026

I saw all Reform’s weaknesses on display in Makerfield – Farage should be worried | John Harris

From a hopeless candidate to botched strategy, this latest byelection defeat is telling. But for Labour, there is still a long and arduous journey ahead The day before the voters of Makerfield chose their new MP, I stood with my camera-wielding colleague John Domokos on the main road through the post-industrial town of Hindley. Every two or three minutes, a van or small truck drew level with us, and there it was again: a honked horn, and a full-throated shout of “Reform!” But on our side of the

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics19 Jun 2026

Andy Burnham wins Makerfield byelection, paving way for Starmer leadership challenge

Greater Manchester mayor beats Reform UK and hardline Restore Britain to return to Westminster after nine years UK politics – live updates Andy Burnham has won the crucial Makerfield byelection by a huge majority, paving the way for a challenge to Keir Starmer’s premiership. The Greater Manchester mayor beat the Reform UK candidate, Robert Kenyon, and the new hardline Restore Britain party. Continue reading...

PoliticsReformRestoreRupert Lowe
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

Polls close in historic Makerfield byelection that could see Andy Burnham elected and pave way for end of Starmer – UK politics live

Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor hopes a win over Reform UK will help force the prime minister to step aside Three economic heavyweights have been brought in to advise Andy Burnham as he attempts to reassure the markets before his possible return to parliament on Friday and challenge to Keir Starmer, Rowena Mason reports. Burnham is understood to be getting advice from Andy Haldane, a former Bank of England chief economist, as well as Richard Hughes, a former chair of the Office for Budget Resp

PoliticsEconomyReform
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

Young men in UK are not more rightwing than older groups, study says

Exclusive: Analysis shows men aged 18 to 25 are less progressive than women their age, but less likely to vote for rightwing parties than other age groups of men Young men are not turning to rightwing politics more than any other demographic, according to a study of election data, which undermines claims that this group has been a key driver of the recent success of parties such as Reform UK. The analysis of data from the British Election Study, which polls about 30,000 people every year, showed

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

All of a sudden Labour is rushing to do some good. Call it the 'Burnham effect' | Polly Toynbee

The end of outsourcing government jobs, from cleaners to security, is just one progressive idea set in motion in this pivotal byelection week In the quiet pause before the storm of the Makerfield result drops, good news has passed unnoticed. “The age of outsourcing is over,” declares the Cabinet Office. There will be “the biggest wave of insourcing of public services for a generation” Rachel Reeves says. Finally, here it comes: every government department promises to bring cleaners, security and

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

Leading figures from Eton college to attend rightwing London summit

Exclusive: Event co-founded by Jordan Peterson will bring together global populist-right figures, US state officials and Eton teachers The Reform UK MPs Sarah Pochin and Andrew Rosindell will be there. As will a plethora of Reform advisers, backroom staff and figures such as Ben Delo, a British crypto billionaire who has given £4m to Nigel Farage’s party. Yet as populist-right politicians from across the globe and their multimillionaire backers prepare for this year’s Alliance for Responsible Ci

PoliticsEducationReform
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

Farage trying to block ‘Britcoin’ plans that could be costly for billionaire donor

Reform UK leader used private meeting at Bank of England to urge governor to drop plans for state-run cryptocurrency Nigel Farage has been trying to block a Bank of England cryptocurrency plan that could be costly for the billionaire bankrolling his party. The Reform UK leader has said Christopher Harborne wants nothing in exchange for the millions he has donated to the party and the undeclared £5m personal gift to Farage that the Guardian revealed in April. Continue reading...

Reform
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

Polls open in historic byelection in Makerfield that could determine Keir Starmer’s future – UK politics live

Andy Burnham hopes a successful byelection will mean he can encourage Keir Starmer to step aside as prime minister Reform UK’s candidate Robert Kenyon has visited St Aidan’s Parish Centre in Wigan, accompanied by party leader Nigel Farage, to cast his vote in today’s byelection. Kenyon was pictured wearing a replica England shirt (looks like Italia 90 to me, most closely associated with Gazza blubbing at the end of a hard-fought contest…), following last night’s World Cup win for Thomas Tuchel’s

PoliticsReform
The Guardian Politics18 Jun 2026

Ten years on, we’re living with the ghosts of Brexit. Reform and Restore know that – the rest are playing catch-up | Aditya Chakrabortty

Starmer’s EU reset is aimed at the conference room. Meanwhile Farage and the hard right mine ethnic resentment on the streets What story does Britain tell itself about Brexit, 10 years after the vote that transformed the country? Watch TV or read the papers and you find one of two viewpoints: from the common room or the conference room. The common room story is about chums and how they fall out. Friendships forged on hallowed playing fields and over Cotswold kitchen suppers, then dashed on the r

Reform
The Guardian Politics17 Jun 2026

‘Petrol on the fire’: Sikhs in UK reconsider Reform support over response to Henry Nowak murder

Recent success among Sikh voters in doubt after party’s proposed kirpan ban adds to sense of racist scapegoating “There’s a genuine battle going on between Reform UK and Labour for Sikh voters,” says Dabinderjit Singh, of the Sikh Federation. Until the case of Henry Nowak, the 18-year-old stabbed to death by Vickrum Digwa, a British Sikh, hit headlines across the country, traditional support for Labour among British Sikhs was slumping, while support for Reform was rising from a low base. But now

ReformCrime