Ann Widdecombe, Reform UK spokesperson and former Brexit Party MEP, was campaigning in the Makerfield constituency last weekend, ahead of the by-election this Thursday.
Writing for GB News, Widdecombe said that her visit proved that Reform UK is now the real opposition to Labour, after witnessing what she described as the “most impressive turnout of activists” she had ever seen in a by-election. Widdecombe, who was also previously a Conservative minister, said it surpassed even what she saw during “the glory years of the Conservative Party”.
The Makerfield by-election has become a straight fight between Labour’s parliamentary candidate Andy Burnham - a career politician using Makerfield as a stepping stone to No10 - and Reform UK’s Rob Kenyon - a local man, self-employed plumber and ex-Army reservist.
This was not, Widdecombe suggested, a normal by-election. It felt like the constituency was at the centre of something much bigger - and voters in Makerfield knew it.
Widdecombe said that what she found on the ground was an electorate still engaged, despite weeks of campaigning.
“Strangely, the public did not appear to be in the last stages of election fatigue”, she wrote, despite the “heap of literature” on doorsteps and the “ringing of doorbells until after supper”.
Yes, some voters told her they were fed up. But, Widdecombe said, there were “far fewer” than she was used to encountering.
“It was as if Makerfield knew it was making political history”, she wrote, “and was not only quite proud of that but was also just as intrigued to see the result as the rest of us.”
According to Widdecombe, the race feels close. She said the posters and doorstep conversations suggested a tight contest “between Labour and Reform”, with Labour “possibly having the edge but not by much”.
She also warned that Restore Britain could split the anti-Labour vote. Widdecombe said some polls have put Rupert Lowe’s party on around 8%, but her own canvassing experience suggested the figure was closer to 5% - and, “crucially, it was flaky”.
She said that two Restore supporters she spoke to recognised they were “effectively voting Labour” and claimed they would “probably” vote Reform UK on the day.
For Widdecombe, the conclusion was clear. In Makerfield, the Tories are nowhere, Labour is under pressure, and Reform UK has “effectively assumed the mantle of opposition”.
Writing for GB News, Widdecombe said that her visit proved that Reform UK is now the real opposition to Labour, after witnessing what she described as the “most impressive turnout of activists” she had ever seen in a by-election. Widdecombe, who was also previously a Conservative minister, said it surpassed even what she saw during “the glory years of the Conservative Party”.
The Makerfield by-election has become a straight fight between Labour’s parliamentary candidate Andy Burnham - a career politician using Makerfield as a stepping stone to No10 - and Reform UK’s Rob Kenyon - a local man, self-employed plumber and ex-Army reservist.
This was not, Widdecombe suggested, a normal by-election. It felt like the constituency was at the centre of something much bigger - and voters in Makerfield knew it.
Widdecombe said that what she found on the ground was an electorate still engaged, despite weeks of campaigning.
“Strangely, the public did not appear to be in the last stages of election fatigue”, she wrote, despite the “heap of literature” on doorsteps and the “ringing of doorbells until after supper”.
Yes, some voters told her they were fed up. But, Widdecombe said, there were “far fewer” than she was used to encountering.
“It was as if Makerfield knew it was making political history”, she wrote, “and was not only quite proud of that but was also just as intrigued to see the result as the rest of us.”
According to Widdecombe, the race feels close. She said the posters and doorstep conversations suggested a tight contest “between Labour and Reform”, with Labour “possibly having the edge but not by much”.
She also warned that Restore Britain could split the anti-Labour vote. Widdecombe said some polls have put Rupert Lowe’s party on around 8%, but her own canvassing experience suggested the figure was closer to 5% - and, “crucially, it was flaky”.
She said that two Restore supporters she spoke to recognised they were “effectively voting Labour” and claimed they would “probably” vote Reform UK on the day.
For Widdecombe, the conclusion was clear. In Makerfield, the Tories are nowhere, Labour is under pressure, and Reform UK has “effectively assumed the mantle of opposition”.
