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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Politics
Helena Horton

Elon Musk retweet signals rightwing split that could help Andy Burnham in Makerfield

Rupert Lowe in a suit at the launch of his Restore Britain party
Rupert Lowe at the launch of his party, Restore Britain, in February. Lowe was a Reform MP until he fell out with Nigel Farage and had the whip suspended. Photograph: Jason Bye/The Guardian

Andy Burnham is unlikely to be Elon Musk’s first pick to be prime minister of the UK. But an intervention by the US tech billionaire on behalf of a far-right offshoot of Reform UK is one of several signs that a divided right wing could deliver the Makerfield seat to the Manchester mayor.

On 18 June, Burnham will fight a byelection in Greater Manchester, and polls have him only slightly ahead of Reform’s candidate, Robert Kenyon, a plumber. But a far-right party set up by the former Reform MP Rupert Lowe looks as if it is taking some support from Reform.

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