Only a day stands between us and a vote that could change Britain for years to come.

If the polls predicting victory for Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election are proved correct, then the hard-Left’s rush to evict Sir Keir Starmer from Downing Street will begin in earnest.

The strongest likelihood in that scenario would be the self-styled King of the North installed in No 10 in short order. It doesn’t require detailed knowledge of his worldview or a particularly sophisticated grasp of economics to see why that would only be the start of our problems.

The one thing beyond question is that a sharp lurch to the Left would be top of the agenda under an administration run by Burnham. It is already under way, in fact, and has been since his return to Parliament was first mooted. He has unashamedly signalled his support for wealth taxes, nationalisation and stronger state control.

But the words from Unison chief Andrea Egan should send a fresh chill down the spine of every hard-pressed taxpayer in the country. When she remarked that her members had been ‘handing money over to the Labour Party and getting absolutely nothing in return’, it sounded less like a veiled threat than a dire warning.

Her list of demands includes so-called ‘progressive’ policies, such as public-sector pay increases and a U-turn on immigration curbs. It is undoubtedly a Marxist-flavoured recipe for the very worst sort of catastrophe.

Of course, there is still time – just – to avoid this descent into madness. On the eve of polling day, it is more important than ever that the people of Makerfield think long and hard about who they are going to vote for.

In particular, the Daily Mail urges anyone intending to back Restore Britain to reflect very carefully. Splitting the Right-wing vote can only lead to disaster – and the figures clearly show that only Reform UK is in a position to beat Labour.

The fall-out from this by-election will be felt far beyond the constituency boundaries. We are facing the prospect of a socialist nightmare that would have a devastating impact not only on every aspect of British life, but also on our reputation abroad.

Snuffing out a takeover by the hard-Left must be the priority for everyone who loves this country. Unless Andy Burnham is stopped in his tracks tomorrow, that task will be harder than ever.

PM’s defence shame

Would it have made any material difference to the G7 summit if Sir Keir Starmer had failed to show up? Probably not. The Prime Minister’s main contribution to the proceedings so far has been to deny that he was snubbed by Donald Trump.

Yet with the gathering in France largely concentrating on military issues and international security, it was inevitable that Sir Keir would find himself surplus to requirements. Even he must know, in his heart of hearts, that his lamentable record on defence is – at the very least – a grave insult to everyone who has ever pulled on a Services uniform.

It is clear that Sir Keir’s focus is increasingly turning to his place in the history books.

Regrettably, the fact he effectively abandoned that most important of fundamentals – the defence of the realm – will arguably be his most shameful legacy. That he did so at a time of almost unprecedented global peril only makes it worse.