Green Party selects Sarah Wakefield for Makerfield by-election after controversy

LocalPolitics
26 May 2026 • 6:06 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

Green Party selects Sarah Wakefield for Makerfield by-election after controversy

  • The Green Party has named Manchester city councillor Sarah Wakefield as its new candidate for the Makerfield by-election, scheduled for June 18.
  • This decision follows the withdrawal of the party's initial candidate, Chris Kennedy, who stepped down just nine hours after his announcement.
  • Kennedy's withdrawal was followed by reports that he had shared a social media post characterising an attack on Jewish ambulances in north London as a 'false flag,' for which he subsequently issued an apology.
  • Ms Wakefield, a charity director currently on maternity leave, stated that the Green Party's core message is that 'the future can be better and fairer than the failed status quo.'
  • She stressed the importance of providing voters with a choice and expressed optimism that politics can foster a better life, encouraging constituents to 'vote in hope' rather than anger.

IN FULL