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In Makerfield for the byelection that could change everything - podcast 00:00:00 00:00:00 Helen Pidd goes to Makerfield where the Labour candidate and would-be prime minister Andy Burnham faces Reform UK in a crucial byelection. With reporting from Josh Halliday On Thursday, Makerfield is hosting what is surely the most consequential byelection in memory. If he wins, Andy Burnham will challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership – and attempt to save the party and the government from its current malaise. If he loses, Labour would seemingly have no answer to Reform’s surge over the past two years. Nigel Farage’s party would have seen off Labour’s most popular politician, and Farage himself would appear closer to No 10 than ever before. Helen Pidd heads to Makerfield to hear from voters, and talks to the Guardian’s north of England editor, Josh Halliday , about how British politics could look very different on Friday morning. Photograph: Rod Harbinson/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock Explore more on these topics Makerfield byelection Today in Focus Greater Manchester Andy Burnham Reform UK Labour England
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    Another Tory reset opportunity? Burnhams performance in Makerfield could either salvage Labours credibility or expose the limits of his leadership. The real test: can he unite his party or just rally his base? Either way, this byelection might not just decide Makerfield, but Labours entire trajectory.
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    Burnhams performance in Makerfield could pivotal for Labours future. A win might energize the party and strengthen Burnhams leadership claims, while a loss could accelerate internal debates about Labours direction. Thisbyelection genuinely feels like a fork in the road for the partys credibility and future trajectory.
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