Reform UK’s Richard Tice has claimed that Andy Burnham’s win in the Makerfield by-election was influenced by “tactical voting” from Reform supporters.
Speaking on GB News, the party’s deputy leader said Reform were “always the underdogs” in the contest against the former Greater Manchester mayor.
When asked by host Ellie Costello what went wrong for Reform, Tice said some voters had chosen to back other candidates in order to help “remove the most unpopular Prime Minister in living memory” at a general election.
He said Makerfield had long been a safe Labour seat, adding his congratulations to Burnham for holding it.
Tice added that while Reform would have liked to win, they were never expected to, pointing to Burnham’s profile in the North West. He also said the campaign message in the area focused on “getting Starmer out”, arguing that some Reform supporters had voted tactically for Burnham to help achieve that aim.
He went on to say Reform would be ready for a future general election and confident of winning it, suggesting it could come sooner if Burnham became Labour leader. He claimed the party was “leading in all national polls” and said preparations were ongoing.
Responding to comments that Reform faces a “hard path to power”, Tice said that assessment was wrong and insisted there had been significant tactical voting from both left- and right-leaning voters aimed at removing Sir Keir Starmer. He also argued that Burnham’s campaign avoided using the Labour brand, which he described as “toxic”.
He pointed to recent local election gains as evidence Reform was continuing to build support and said the party would push ahead with its current strategy.
Addressing concerns about vote splitting on the right, Tice urged voters to “unite behind Reform”, saying the party offered policies on energy, taxes, immigration, and public spending that he argued would improve living standards.
On Reform’s candidate Robert Kenyon, Tice said he performed well to finish second and praised his campaign efforts. He added that Kenyon had increased his vote share compared with the general election and noted he had apologised for past comments made in a private capacity.
Tice said the party was now focused on upcoming local contests, including the Greater Manchester mayoral race expected later this summer, where he said Reform hoped to secure a win.
