Makerfield by-election candidates announced

Political parties have begun to announce their candidates for the forthcoming by-election in the Greater Manchester constituency of Makerfield.

The by-election was triggered when Labour MP Josh Simons announced he would step down to allow his party colleague Andy Burnham the chance to seek a way back into the House of Commons.

With the by-election date yet to be confirmed, three other parties have now named their candidates.

You can see all of these below - listed in alphabetical order by each candidate's surname. This list will be updated as more are announced in coming days.

Andy Burnham, The Labour Party

The Labour Party has officially confirmed Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham as its candidate.

Burnham, a former Labour government minister, has been the region's metropolitan mayor since 2017.

Alan 'Howlin' Laud Hope, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party

The Official Monster Raving Loony Party has named its leader and co-founder - Alan Hope - otherwise known as Alan "Howlin" Laud Hope.

In a statement posted on social media, the party said: "We can confirm that our glorious leader Alan "Howlin" Laud Hope... will be standing against Andy Burnham in the forthcoming election in Makerfield."

Robert Kenyon, Reform UK

Reform UK has named Robert Kenyon as its candidate.

Kenyon is a self-employed plumber and stood in the constituency in the 2024 general election - coming second to Labour's Josh Simons.

Rebecca Shepherd, Restore Britain

The Restore Britain party has announced Rebecca Shepherd as its candidate.

Shepherd is a businesswoman and was the first candidate to be officially announced on Monday.