It’s all kicking off in Makerfield, where Andy Burnham has romped to victory in the by-election. Burnham, Labour’s newest MP – and the PM-in-waiting – was graceful enough to shake the hand of his Reform opponent Robert Kenyon after the result was announced in the early hours. But elsewhere at the count in Wigan, there was no love lost between Reform and Labour types.
Reform’s Sarah Pochin and Labour peer Baroness Thangam Debbonaire clashed during a testy interview live on Sky News. Debbonaire attemped to take Pochin to task over a video the Reform MP had posted about domestic abuse during the World Cup.
@SarahForRuncorn delivering the facts and Labour’s Thangam Debbonaire responds with hysteria as she can’t handle the truth ??
Labour hate this debate because they know they have failed.
Failed on immigration.
Failed on border security.
Failed on public confidence.
Failed… pic.twitter.com/w9EkfqmvdB
— Cllr Mason Humberstone (@M_Humberstone) June 19, 2026
‘You are not standing up for women,’ Debbonaire told Pochin. Pochin shot back by accusing Debbonaire of misinterpreting the video. It swiftly went downhill from there:
Thangam Debbonaire: ‘Are you ever going to let me finish the sentence? Are you really only saying the only danger to women is people who come from other countries?…You keep cutting in. You keep smiling when we are talking about violence against women and girls. I really…Oh my God! I have 26 years of experience in violence against women and girls.’
Sarah Pochin: ‘I have 20 years.’
TD: ‘Oh, I see and raise you six years, Sarah. There are women being raped by white men and you don’t want to talk about that….’
