A Social Market Foundation report found that 1 in 6 pieces of news shared in Makerfield's local Facebook groups during the current by-election campaign are false, with misinformation heavily targeting Labour candidate Andy Burnham. This matters because coordinated disinformation in tight local races can suppress turnout, skew voter perception, and undermine faith in democratic processes — particularly in a by-election where margins are typically narrow. The finding aligns with broader research showing UK social media contains growing volumes of election-related misinformation, though the 17% false-content rate in Makerfield is notably higher than baseline rates, suggesting targeted amplification rather than organic spread.