Article #27582

Andy Burnham may have a route back to Westminster – and a path to the Labour leadership. But first the Greater Manchester mayor must win the byelection in Makerfield after Josh Simons agreed to step down as the constituency’s MP. Meanwhile, Nigel Farage has vowed Reform UK will ‘throw absolutely everything’ at the contest in an attempt to derail the ambitions of one of Labour’s most high-profile figures.

Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s north of England correspondent Hannah al-Othman, who has been talking to voters in the constituency