# Michael Winstanley - Conservative Candidate, Makerfield

# Michael Winstanley — Conservative Candidate, Makerfield By-Election 2026

**Last updated:** 25 May 2026
**By-election date:** Thursday 18 June 2026

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## Bio

| Detail | Info |
|--------|------|
| **Full name** | Michael Winstanley |
| **Party** | Conservative |
| **Constituency** | Makerfield |
| **First-time candidate** | Likely |

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## How They Got Selected

Named as Conservative candidate on 20 May 2026. Selected amid questions over Kemi Badenoch's approach to the by-election — the Conservatives have been largely absent from the campaign narrative, with the race dominated by Labour vs Reform.

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## Polling

| Date | Pollster | Winstanley % | Notes |
|------|----------|-------------|-------|
| 23 May | Survation / Sunday Times | 2% | Trailing far behind main contenders |

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## What It Means

The Conservative vote in Makerfield has collapsed. Once a Labour-Conservative marginal, the party is now a fringe presence — polling at just 2% and being squeezed by both Reform UK (right) and Labour (centre-left). The Tories are effectively spectators in this by-election.

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## Twitter/X Discussion

> *Source: Nitter search, May 2026*

Winstanley gets modest Twitter coverage, mostly from Wigan locals and Conservative accounts. Key themes:

- **Former Mayor of Wigan**: "Michael Winstanley, he's a former Mayor of Wigan and a really good candidate to have. Sadly he'll be squeezed out of the picture by a bloke with questions to answer about how he refers to women and a bloke who is only doing this to further his career. It's all so wrong." — a local defending him against the national circus
- **Conservative Party promo**: Conservative accounts tweet about him positively — "Michael Winstanley, Conservative candidate for the Makerfield by-election, is sending the right message loud and clear — we are the party with the best plans and the serious vision for Britain"
- **Squeezed candidate narrative**: Widely predicted to come 5th or 6th, with one tweet predicting him to be "ahead of Labour" only as a joke. Multiple tweets question why Tories should even bother: "Shouldn't you as a Conservative be supporting Michael Winstanley?"
- **Loony Party comparison**: "Do you think that the Tory party in the by election in Makerfield will get more votes than the Monster Raving Loony Party?" — the fact this is a genuine question reflects how far the Tory vote has collapsed

## Reddit Discussion

Barely discussed on Reddit. When mentioned, it's usually in the context of how far the Conservatives have fallen in their former heartlands. The "2% polling" figure is cited as evidence of the party's existential crisis in the North.

- [BBC — Conservatives name Michael Winstanley](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq6pver77gpo)
- [The Telegraph — Questions over Kemi Badenoch's approach to Makerfield](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2026/05/22/kemi-badenoch-makerfield-by-election/)
- [PollCheck — Makerfield By-Election](https://www.pollcheck.co.uk/by-elections/makerfield)