Nigel Farage swipes at Restore as he warns that backing anyone apart from Reform in Makerfield by-election is 'effectively voting Labour'

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR Published: 11:14, 18 June 2026 | Updated: 11:18, 18 June 2026 Nigel Farage has delivered a final plea for voters on the Right to unite against Andy Burnham in Makerfield. The Reform leader warned that the by-election taking place today will be 'tight' and 'no-one knows what will happen'. In a clear message to those thinking of supporting Restore Britain, Mr Farage stressed that his candidate Rob Kenyon was the only realistic option to stop the Greater Manchester Mayor winning.  'What is clear is that if you vote for anybody else other than Rob you're effectively voting Labour,' Mr Farage said in a social media video. The Clacton MP accompanied Mr Kenyon to cast his ballot in the constituency this morning. Mr Kenyon, a plumber, drove them to St Aidan's Parish Centre in Winstanley in his white van.  Nigel Farage accompanied his Makerfield candidate Rob Kenyon to vote in the constituency this morning Polls have suggested Mr Burnham is on track for victory, but some have shown the margin could be smaller the support being picked up by Restore - led by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe. The outcome, due in the early hours tomorrow, could decide who will be the next inhabitant of 10 Downing Street.  Mr Burnham has made no secret of his intention to challenge for the Labour leadership.  Although Sir Keir has vowed to fight on, allies of Mr Burnham are plotting ways to force his departure. Many would prefer a 'coronation', rather than a formal leadership contest that could paralyse the Government for months. Cabinet ministers including Ed Miliband are said to be ready to quit if the PM will not go voluntarily, although there are divisions over how quickly the coup would be initiated.  Intriguingly Mr Burnham met Wes Streeting, another potential leadership contender, in Makerfield on Monday. A source played down speculation they were thrashing out a joint approach, telling the Guardian 'no deals were done'. There are fears that whatever happens Labour is set to swing to the Left, with demands for more tax hikes and spending. Polls have suggested Mr Burnham is on track for victory, but some have shown the margin could be smaller the support being picked up by Restore - led by former Reform MP Rupert Lowe The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.