My day in Makerfield, the seat at the centre of the political universe

The 14 candidates in the Makerfield by-election take to the stage for this morning’s announcement (Picture: Craig Munro)

From the moment I stepped out of Wigan North Western railway station, it was clear something unusual was taking place.

The first person I saw on the street outside was Darren Jones MP, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister. And on top of that, people were asking him for a selfie.

It should go without saying that this is not the sort of thing that would normally happen in the centre of Wigan. But it was not a normal day.

This was June 18 2026 – the date of a vote so crucial, political reporters had quickly run out of superlatives to describe it. ‘The most consequential by-election in modern British history’ seemed to be the consensus.

I had come to visit Makerfield.

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