Reform forced to pull attack ads and campaign signs torn down with 10 days to Makerfield by-election
The by-election race has intensified, with Reform withdrawing AI-generated ads after an artist threatened legal action, CCTV capturing campaign signs being ripped down, and the two frontrunners running neck-and-neck.
With just 10 days until the Makerfield by-election on June 18, campaigning has intensified amid controversies over AI-generated attack ads and vandalised campaign signs.
Labour's Andy Burnham and Reform UK's Robert Kenyon remain the frontrunners in a tightly fought contest that could reshape UK politics if Burnham wins and launches a leadership challenge against Sir Keir Starmer.
What happened with the Reform attack ads?
Reform UK was forced to remove promotional materials that featured a portrait of Andy Burnham after the artist, Stanley Chow, threatened legal action. Chow described it as unauthorised use of his image to push an "anti-immigration" message.
The images were reportedly AI-generated and appeared to show a group of people in a small boat holding "Vote Andy" placards emblazoned with Chow's portrait of Burnham.
Reform called the criticism "politically motivated."
What about the campaign signs?
Burnham shared CCTV footage on social media over the weekend appearing to show a man pulling up in a white van, violently ripping down a Labour campaign sign from outside a property, putting it in the van and driving away.
"Whoever this is, we'd appreciate your help on the 19th of June as we'll have about 650 stakes to take down, but could you give it a rest for now," Burnham's campaign posted.
What has the Green Party MP said about Reform?
Hannah Spencer, the Green Party MP who won the Gorton and Denton by-election in February, was blunt about Reform's candidate.
"They took away some learnings from Gorton and Denton. They selected a plumber, but they're not quite there yet," she told the MEN. "Reform need to go back to the drawing board, I think."
She added: "People are really angry about what he said about women and the fact that he won't apologise."
What is happening nationally?
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has said he would back Starmer in a leadership election but continues to campaign for Burnham in Makerfield.
The Lib Dems accused Starmer of experiencing an "11th-hour Damascene conversion" on protecting children from online harms, with education spokeswoman Munira Wilson saying: "This sudden rush seems driven entirely by a looming ballot box in Makerfield."
Who is standing?
The 14 candidates include Andy Burnham (Labour), Robert Kenyon (Reform UK), Michael Winstanley (Conservative), Jake Austin (Liberal Democrats), Count Binface (Count Binface Party), Dan Clarke (Libertarian Party), Ed Gemmell (Climate Party), Robert Pownall (Independent), and Rebecca Shepherd (Restore Britain), among others.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When is the Makerfield by-election?
- Voters in the Makerfield constituency will cast their ballots to elect a new MP on Thursday, 18 June.
- Who are the main candidates in the Makerfield by-election?
- The race is highly contested between Labour's Andy Burnham and Reform UK's Robert Kenyon, alongside candidates from the Liberal Democrats, Green Party, and others.
- Why was a Reform UK advert removed?
- Reform UK withdrew an attack advert after the original artist threatened legal action, stating his portrait of Andy Burnham was altered using AI without permission.