Green candidate withdraws hours after Makerfield by-election announcement
The Greens unveiled Chris Kennedy for Makerfield, then lost him hours later, reopening nominations in a race already shaped by Labour, Reform UK and an empty seat.
Chris Kennedy was meant to give the Green Party a fresh start in Makerfield. Instead, his rapid withdrawal hours after being unveiled exposed how little margin small parties have for error when a by-election is already moving fast.
The Greens named Kennedy on 21 May 2026 as their candidate for the contest, describing him as a registered nurse and children’s safeguarding specialist who had been chosen by local members after a hustings. The party said he would campaign on the rising cost of living, greener homes, local green spaces and the NHS. By the end of the day, Kennedy had stepped aside for personal reasons, and the Greens reopened nominations.
That abrupt reversal matters because Makerfield is not an ordinary vacancy. Josh Simons resigned as the constituency’s MP on 14 May 2026, with the seat now vacant after he represented Makerfield from 4 July 2024 until 18 May 2026. The by-election is due on Thursday 18 June 2026, while nominations close on 26 May 2026, leaving parties only a short window to complete selections, file paperwork and assemble a full campaign.
The Greens had tried to frame the contest around bread-and-butter concerns rather than Westminster drama. They argued the race should focus on cost of living pressures, greener homes, green spaces and the NHS, and warned that the main threat was Reform UK. Party figures said vote-splitting could matter in a contest where Labour, Reform UK, the Conservatives and other parties were preparing candidates or campaigns.
Kennedy’s departure also underlined the pressure on the Greens’ local operation. Earlier party material had identified him as a recent local election candidate in Newton-le-Willows East, giving him some local profile and a clear link to the area. His selection after a hustings suggested a deliberate effort to present a locally rooted candidate, but the withdrawal showed how quickly a carefully staged launch can unravel.
The broader race is already being shaped by bigger political calculations. Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor, has said he will seek Labour’s nomination, adding another layer of national attention to a seat the party is keen to hold. With Labour, Reform and the Conservatives all organizing, the Greens’ brief unveiling and immediate reset became a reminder that in a compressed by-election timetable, readiness is not just about policy. It is about whether a party can keep its own campaign standing long enough to reach the ballot paper.
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