https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/21/greens-select-nurse-chris-kennedy-makerfield-byelection-candidate

Chris Kennedy chosen amid reports Greens do not want to be blamed for splitting progressive vote and allowing Reform to win

The Green party has chosen “a committed local campaigner” as its candidate in the Makerfield byelection on 18 June.

Chris Kennedy, a nurse and children’s safeguarding specialist, was chosen after a hustings on Wednesday amid reports that the party was proposing to hold back from investing significant resources in the byelection.

The Financial Times reported that party members were wary of being blamed for splitting the progressive vote and allowing Reform to win. Because of that, senior party figures wanted to help clear the path for Labour’s Andy Burnham.

One senior party figure told the FT: “We do not want this one to go to Reform, and to be quite frank, we do not want Labour to turn around and say, ‘If you vote Green, you’re actually voting Reform’, because that will be used for the next three years.”

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Continues at https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/may/21/greens-select-nurse-chris-kennedy-makerfield-byelection-candidate