# Sarah Wakefield — Green Party Candidate # Sarah Wakefield — Green Party Candidate **Update 14 Jun:** Opinium data tables published — Greens not broken out separately but Forward Democracy tactical voting push squeezing smaller parties. Tom de Grunwald (Forward Democracy): "If you would normally vote Green, Liberal Democrat, or anyone else, and you don't want Reform UK to win, the maths is clear: Andy Burnham is the only candidate who can stop them." Greens still ~2% in polls. Standing firm despite pressure. 4 days to poll. **Last updated:** 14 Jun 2026 (NEW: Opinium data tables, Forward Democracy tactical voting squeeze on Green/LD voters) **By-election date:** Thursday 18 June 2026 --- ## Bio | Detail | Info | |--------|------| | **Full name** | Sarah Wakefield | | **Age** | 38 | | **Location** | Manchester | | **Occupation** | Charity director (currently on maternity leave) | | **Political role** | Manchester City Councillor (Deansgate ward) | | **Council role** | Chair of Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee | | **Personal** | Mum of two | | **Previous work** | Retail with a focus on sustainable food; trustee of a community organisation | --- ## How They Got Selected Announced as Green Party candidate on 26 May 2026, replacing Chris Kennedy who withdrew after just nine hours as candidate on 21 May 2026. Kennedy resigned after antisemitic social media posts resurfaced — he had shared a post calling an attack on Jewish ambulances a "false flag". This also replaces James Booth, who had been selected as the emergency replacement candidate on 21 May after Kennedy withdrew. The timeline was: 1. **Chris Kennedy** selected (21 May) → withdrew 9 hours later over antisemitic posts 2. **James Booth** selected as replacement (21 May) — his candidacy was brief 3. **Sarah Wakefield** selected (26 May) — announced by the Green Party on Tuesday morning --- ## Key Statements & Quotes - On being announced (26 May): *"I am proud to be representing the Green Party in the Makerfield byelection. It is vital in a democracy that voters are given a choice of who they want to vote for. Together we can bring back the hope that politics can create a better life for ourselves and our children."* - *"We showed in Gorton and Denton we can take on and beat Reform, whose backward-looking and divisive politics needs to be challenged head-on with a message that the future can be better and fairer than the failed status quo."* - *"Don't vote in anger, vote in hope."* - Signed the "Vote Palestine" pledge for her Deansgate City Council victory — noted by some accounts as her local priority --- ## Policy Platform - Green Party platform: climate action, social justice, anti-austerity - Has a Palestinian solidarity track record (Vote Palestine pledge) - Focus on children and young people issues (chairs scrutiny committee on this) - Sustainable food advocate --- ## Polling The Greens polled at 3% (Survation/Sunday Times, 23 May) when James Booth was the candidate. Sarah Wakefield's entry so close to the election is unlikely to significantly change that figure — the party is a minor factor in the Labour-Reform battle. --- ## What It Means - The Greens have now had **three candidates** in the space of five days — Chris Kennedy (9 hours), James Booth (~5 days), and now Sarah Wakefield - This chaotic start undercuts the party's credibility in the race - Ellie Chowns' statement that the Greens won't "throw the kitchen sink" at Makerfield remains the party's positioning - Wakefield is a more conventional candidate than Booth or Kennedy — a Manchester councillor with no social media baggage — but has much less time to campaign (just 23 days to polling day) - The Green vote is unlikely to shift from ~3% regardless of who the candidate is - Her "Vote Palestine" pledge may mobilise some left-wing voters but could also be a vulnerability in a constituency with a different demographic profile than Deansgate --- ## Twitter/X Discussion > *Source: Nitter search, 26 May 2026* Wakefield's announcement generated immediate coverage. Key themes: - **Breakings news coverage**: Multiple accounts shared the announcement from GB News, Politics UK, and the Green Party's official account - **"Wakefield for Makerfield"**: The slogan quickly emerged — a play on her surname matching the constituency name, though she represents Deansgate in Manchester, not the Makerfield area - **Positive framing from party supporters**: "Good luck to Sarah Wakefield — voters deserve a non pro war, pro austerity, pro genocide choice" — framing her as the anti-establishment candidate - **"Vote Palestine" attention**: One account highlighted that she "signed the Vote Palestine pledge for her Deansgate victory" — signalling her political positioning - **Establishment resistance framing**: "Despite the pressure The Green Party did not succumb to the establishment's demand they stand aside — well done" — noting that she is running despite calls from senior Greens for the party to step aside for Burnham --- ## Reddit Discussion > *Source: Self-hosted eddrit frontend (Windows PC Docker), 26 May 2026* Wakefield's selection is too recent for significant Reddit discussion at the time of writing. Existing Green Party threads on r/ukpolitics continue to focus on the tactical voting debate (should the Greens stand aside for Burnham). The broader Green Party discussion pattern — calls to step aside, the Kennedy 9-hour fiasco, and Chowns' "kitchen sink" comment — remains the dominant Green-related Reddit narrative. --- ## Sources - [Manchester Evening News — Greens announce new candidate (26 May 2026)](https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/live-andy-burnham-makerfield-election-33960781) - [The Guardian — Green party announce new candidate for Makerfield byelection (26 May 2026)](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/26/green-party-announce-new-candidate-makerfield-byelection-sarah-wakefield) - [Green Party website — Sarah Wakefield announcement](https://greenparty.org.uk/2026/05/26/) ## 5 June 2026 - Appeared on BBC Question Time Makerfield special (4 Jun) as Green candidate - Survation #2 poll: 2% (-1 from first poll)