Richard Tice bizarrely claims that Reform voters tactically voted for Andy Burnham to ‘get Starmer out’
'Utter, unadulterated garbage'
Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice made the bizarre claim that Reform supporters voted for Labour’s Andy Burnham in Makerfield to “get Starmer out”.
In an interview on BBC Politics this morning, he suggested that Burnham’s victory over Reform happened because Reform voters were “so determined” to oust Keir Starmer.
Tice said: “Interestingly, we had Reform voters saying, ‘I’m so determined to get Starmer out, I’m going to vote for Burnham to ensure that result’.”
He added: “Obviously we’d have loved to have won it [Makerfield]”, and said that Reform’s “next ambition” is the Greater Manchester Mayoral contest, which is expected to take place at the end of July.
Burnham won yesterday’s Makerfield by-election with 24,937 votes, more than 9,000 votes ahead of Reform’s Robert Kenyon.
Reacting to Tice’s explanation of why Reform lost, journalist Don McGowan wrote on X: “Of all the lame, ludicrous excuses Reform could have trotted out for their catastrophic loss in Makerfield, tactical voting is just insanity.
“Tice trying to claim that Reform voters went to Labour to ‘get Starmer out’, is utter, unadulterated garbage.
“You lost, get over it.”
Broadcaster and commentator Narinder Kaur wrote: “That’s some political level gymnastics there…
“Vote Labour to defeat Labour. And ensure we never win the next GE.”
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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