A SPECIAL edition of the BBC's weekly political debate programme question time will be broadcast live from Makerfield this evening.
Tonight's episode will be focused on the upcoming by-election in Makerfield, taking place on June 18.
The panel features five candidates who are standing in the by-election, from Labour, the Conservatives, the LibDems, the Greens and Reform UK.
Two other by-elections are also taking place on June 18 in Scotland, in Aberdeen South and Arbroath and Broughty Ferry.
Here's everything you need to know ahead of the hour-long debate tonight.
When is BBC Question Time on and how can I watch?
The show starts at 10.40pm on BBC One, just after the 10 o’clock news, and it will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer, from 9pm.
You can listen to the episode live from 9pm on the BBC Sounds app, or follow the coverage on the BBC News website/app.
Who is on the BBC Question Time Makerfield by-election special?
Andy Burnham
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham is appearing on Thursday evening's Question Time programme.
Burnham is standing as the Labour candidate for the Makerfield by-election, after previously being blocked from standing in another by-election which saw Hannah Spencer elected as a Green MP.
Burnham was MP for Leigh between 2001 and 2017, and was also the former health secretary under Gordon Brown.
If he is successful in the Makerfield by-election, this paves the way for him to challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership.
He has already ruled out calling an early General Election if he becomes prime minister.
Michael Winstanley
Michael Winstanley is the Conservative candidate for the Makerfield by-election.
He is the former mayor of Wigan and previously served as a Wigan councillor for 16 years.
He also stood in the Makerfield seat in the 1997 general election, coming second to Labour.
Jake Austin
Jake Austin is currently a LibDem councillor for Stockport Council, where he serves as a cabinet member for housing and environment.
He was a candidate in the 2024 Greater Manchester mayoral election.
Sarah Wakefield
Sarah Wakefield is the Greens' candidate for the Makerfield by-election, and will be looking to build on the party's success in the nearby Gorton and Denton constituency.
She is currently a councillor on Manchester City Council.
She is also executive director of Eating Better, a fair food charity.
Wakefield has previously worked in retail, with a focus on sustainable food.
Robert Kenyon
Robert Kenyon is Reform UK's candidate for the upcoming by-election on June 18.
He is a self-employed plumber and a former army reservist.
Kenyon stood in the Makerfield seat in 2024 and came second to Labour.
The Reform UK candidate has come under increasing fire for his posts on social media and his connections with a neo-fascist leader.
He called abortion a “cowardly act of murdering a defenceless baby” and suggested that women lie about being raped to justify abortions in posts on a now-deleted social media account.
Kenyon is also reported to have said that Russia were “within their rights” to invade Crimea and questioned the seriousness of Covid and the efficacy of vaccines.
