The Reform argument is that if Restore voters are really selfish and actually vote for the party they want to vote for in Makerfield, they'll split the vote, Andy Burnham will win and become the prime minister, and that will be really bad because then Labour, under Andy Burnham, will win the next election.
So. Actually. What they're really saying is ... they have lots and lots of faith in Andy Burnham and in the Labour Party. So much faith in fact, that if Andy Burnham is the prime minister, Reform can't possibly beat him in 2029.
And that's not my contention at all. The amount of faith I have in Andy Burnham is less than zero. The amount of faith I have in the Labour Party is less than zero. They're talking about Andy Burnham as though he's some slick, accomplished, 5D chess master politician who will sweep into Number 10 in a blaze of glory and revive the zombie Labour Party like a phoenix from the ashes.
But none of that is true ... Andy Burnham is a useless left wing shit hat. IF he wins Makerfield and IF he ousts Keir Starmer to become prime minister, the entire country will find out within about six months that not only is Andy Burnham a fucking useless prime minister, but that it doesn't matter who you appoint from the Labour Party as its leader because the entire party is absolutely rotten from the inside out.
Imagine being a Reform voter and having more faith in Andy Burnham than your own leader...