# Inside the by-election that could change UK politics

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582/inside-the-by-election-that-could-change-uk-politics
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582/inside-the-by-election-that-could-change-uk-politics.md
Podcast: [In The Room](https://stenobird.com/podcast/in-the-room-7693582)
Published: 2026-06-10T05:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/intheroom/episodes/inside-the-by-election-that-could-change-uk-politics
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/open/s/69861398d4e01f1069d58875/e/6a2847ee427484b4a44b869b/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/in-the-room-7693582/episodes/inside-the-by-election-that-could-change-uk-politics
Duration seconds: 2432

## Resource

Next week will see one of the most consequential by-elections in UK political history. Journalists, pollsters and politicians are swamping the small market town near Wigan - where the voters of Makerfield could make Burnham king.  At the time of recording, Labour are 10 points ahead of Reform in the polls. To close the gap, Reform must win a battle of ideas on the right, where Restore Britain are currently polling at 8%. In this episode, Helen and Cleo discuss what happens if Burnham actually wins - will he become prime minister any time soon? And is Keir Starmer really in ‘legacy mode’?  Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose Producer: Sam Durham Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page here . Email your questions to Helen and Cleo on intheroom@independent.co.uk . This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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