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

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

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."

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

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