Makerfield byelection is about more than Andy Burnham

If most popular Labour politician cannot win this seat then party’s electoral problems run deeper than Keir Starmer

The Makerfield byelection is bigger than Andy Burnham. Of the Labour MPs who were back on the constituency’s doorsteps in Hindley Green and Winstanley, just after an intensive local election campaign, many said the fight feels existential.

It matters because it is probably the closest the UK will ever come to a direct presidential-style election, run through one single constituency and likely to decide the future of the Labour party.