Rejoin EU announce Markerfield by-election candidate
Anti-Brexit party puts forward barrister to take on Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester vote
The Rejoin EU Party has selected barrister Peter Ward as its candidate for the 2026 Makerfield by-election.
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His name is the latest to be added to the candidate list for the Greater Manchester vote, which has been called after the Labour MP Josh Simons said he would be standing down.
The region's mayor Andy Burnham is set to stand for Labour but is facing challenges from all major parties, with Rejoin EU being the latest to announce a runner.
Rejoin EU founded in 2020 and has advocated for the return of Britain to the European Union. As of May 2026, the party has one elected representative on a parish council.
Party chairman Brendan Donnelly said: "Rejoining the EU has come back into the British political debate in a big way.
"The Rejoin EU Party intends to make a full contribution to this discussion. That's why we're standing in Makerfield.
"In addition to that, in recent months, it's become increasingly clear that our EU partners will want to be sure that once back in the EU, the UK won't leave again at a later date.
"The Rejoin EU Party believes a new voting system is necessary to guarantee future political stability in the UK. We'll therefore be stressing in our campaign the need for the UK rapidly to move towards a system of proportional representation."
The Makerfield by-election will be on June 18.