The Huffington Post
Reform party member Sarah Pochin speaks during the Reform party's annual conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. Sarah Pochin has been caught in a humiliating slip-up after accidentally promoting Reform UK’s right-wing rivals. The Runcorn and Helsby MP was discussing the Makerfield by-election which is set to be a two-horse race between Reform UK and Labour . It’s a seismic contest as Labour candidate, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham , intends to topple Keir Starmer as prime minister if he wins the seat. One early poll from Survation for the Sunday Times found Burnham is on track to win with 43% of the vote, while Reform candidate Robert Kenyon will win 40%. A further 7% of the vote looks like it will go towards Restore Britain, a splinter right-wing group led by ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe. That has sparked speculation that the right-wing vote will be split when the Makerfield electorate head to the ballot box. So it was unfortunate that Pochin had a bit of Freudian slip when she told TALK: “There’s so much going on with this by-election, it’s probably the most important by-election in British history almost, that we’re part of. “And yes, it is a two-horse race between Restore – I’m sorry! Oh god! “Between Reform and, oh god,” she laughed. “I’ll be sacked for saying that! Reform and Labour, that’s of no doubt.” Reform UK declined to comment when approached on the rise of Restore. Sarah Pochin(Reform MP) slips up & says the Makerfield by-election is between Restore & Labour. "I'll be sacked for saying that." pic.twitter.com/GHO3cF3SGL — Haggis_UK (@Haggis_UK) May 26, 2026 Pochin’s comments come during a troublesome time for Reform UK. Party leader Nigel Farage is currently facing scrutiny for failing to declare a £5 million donation from a crypto billionaire shortly before running for parliament. He has denied any allegations of wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the party’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf started a row with Reform’s Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick on X over their deportation policies. Subscribe to Commons People , the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... Ministers Slammed Over 'Insane' Decision To Ease Russian Oil Sanctions Despite Ukraine War Reform Split As Zia Yusuf Embarrasses Robert Jenrick By Publicly Correcting His Deportation Claim Reform Dismisses Sexism Row Around Makerfield Candidate As 'Locker Room Banter'
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