Farage expected 18,000 votes; got ~16,000
Nigel Farage said he expected 18,000 votes in Makerfield but Reform received just under 16,000, leaving him disappointed.
Snapshot · The Rest Is Politics
545. Burnham Beats Reform: Britain’s Next Prime Minister?
Explore episode
Jun 19, 2026
Where this was said
Farage's Statement, Reform's Losses, and Closing Thoughts
At 41:45 · chapter starts 40:25
Alastair Campbell reads Nigel Farage's defeat statement in full: disappointed, blaming Restore for splitting his vote, but unable to escape the arithmetic that the combined total still fell short. Most damingly, Farage acknowledges that 'vote Burnham, get Keir Starmer out' was Reform's own campaign message from May — meaning he was 'hoisted with his own petard', as Campbell puts it with a deliberately French flourish. Reform's three consecutive by-election losses are reviewed: Plaid in Caerphilly, the Greens in Gordon and Denton, Labour in Makerfield. Rory Stewart closes with a heartfelt plea: he would much rather have Burnham as Prime Minister than Farage or Rupert Lowe, and he sees in Burnham the possibility of a Mark Carney-style centrist unifier — somebody who can stand for democracy, persuasion and compromise against an increasingly brutal populism. Burnham just needs to hold on to the best version of himself.
Farage's Own Petard: 'Vote Burnham, Get Starmer Out' Was Reform's Message First
Nigel Farage admitted after the Makerfield result that the winning message — 'Vote Burnham, get Keir Starmer out' — was Reform's own campaign message from the May locals. His own tactical framing was turned against him, and even his post-defeat blame of Restore as a spoiler doesn't hold: the combined votes still wouldn't have beaten Labour.
Reform lost Caerphilly, Gordon & Denton, Makerfield
Reform lost three consecutive parliamentary by-elections: to Plaid in Caerphilly, the Greens in Gordon and Denton, and Labour in Makerfield.
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