Thrown unexpectedly into the headlines with one of the most consequential by-elections in a century taking place next month, Makerfield residents are feeling a sense of “election fatigue” and have told GB News they’ve had enough of the Westminster spats.
“It feels like the whole future of society hinges on the result of this by-election,” one Labour source told GB News, but voters in the tight-knit community have told the People’s Channel the upcoming contest was not all about Andy Burnham, Labour’s looming leadership contest and Reform UK.
Charlotte, 32, a bar worker, said she felt “let down” by Sir Keir Starmer after voting for Labour in the 2024 election.
A similar sentiment was expressed by Linda, also a bar worker, who is already “fed up” with Labour “not delivering on what they promised”.
Their disappointment, however, has not spurred a sense of excitement for a possible political change of hands in Makerfield.
“They all just want to fill their pockets,” Charlotte said.
Annie, a local shop assistant, also told GB News: “They are all the same.
“Politicians say what you want to hear in order to get into power, then they change their minds to get what they want.”
The indifference towards Westminster and those who run it was palpable in Makerfield
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Andy Burnham, Labour’s Makerfield candidate and Westminster wannabe, has already been accused of U-turning on positions he previously held dear to his heart.
The ex-New Labour Minister, who underwent a Soft Left conversion after losing back-to-back Labour leadership contests, previously said he would like to see the UK rejoin the EU in his lifetime.
However, after realising that Makerfield was a heavily Leave-voting seat, the Greater Manchester Mayor insisted it was not helpful to “rehash” the Brexit debate.
Makerfield, which has been held by Labour since its creation in 1983, comprises several small, suburban villages, with pockets more affluent than others.
“Vote Andy” posters were placed in the windows of a derelict pub in Ashton-in-Makerfield
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Locals describe the area as a “tight-knit community”, with many professing they would not want to live anywhere else.
But it has now captured the political attention of the nation, with June 18 potentially springboarding Andy Burnham into No10.
When asked about what issues were concerning her the most, Charlotte was not bothered about spats in Westminster.
She recalled how she had to take her grandmother to hospital with pneumonia last week, where her sick relative had to wait two days before being given a hospital bed.
The political signage was sparse across the constituency, with a modest poster appearing in a window occasionally
The prospect of buying a house was also starting to become a pipedream for the 32-year-old hospitality worker.
“The interest rate on the mortgage is just ridiculous,” she said.
“The whole thing is going to cost us too much, so it does not seem possible.”
Linda said her biggest concern was the lack of prospects for young people across the country, explaining her niece and nephew had degrees but were unable to find work.
She told The People’s Channel she is even telling younger members of her family to not have children so they can “just enjoy their lives”.
The election circus may not stop on June 18 for the apathetic people of Makerfield, as a snap election might be called if Sir Keir Starmer is ousted – Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has called for one, while Labour veteran Baroness Harriet Harman has warned of one.
Phil and Amelia, father and daughter, said they were both not too interested in politics.
Amelia, who is able to vote for the first time, admitted she was unsure whether she would head to the polling station as she “didn’t know enough about it”.
Her dad, Phil, despite saying he was not too politically engaged, said he would likely be voting for Mr Burnham in the by-election, as he preferred him to Sir Keir, with the Greater Manchester mayor being “a northern man”.
Makerfield locals described the area as a ‘tightknit community’ and proud to be where they are from
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When asked if he felt the constituency was being used by Mr Burnham as a means to get back into Westminster and launch a leadership challenge, Phil said he did not “really care”.
“I know Andy Burnham is using the constituency as a means to an end, but I don’t really care – he’s been honest about that,” he said.
Phil said he trusted “Labour more than the Tories”, as he thought the cost of living crisis had a lot to do with the ongoing wars, which was “out of [Keir Starmer’s] hands”.
On Reform UK, Phil said the party’s policies on immigration “doesn’t impact the area as much as places like Oldham”, which is also in Greater Manchester.
One resident said he knows ”Andy Burnham is using the constituency as a means to an end’ but said he didn’t mind because the Greater Manchester Mayor ‘had been honest about it’
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However, Persian taxi driver Amir gave a different perspective, saying nine out of 10 of his customers intend to vote for Reform UK.
When asked who he would vote for in the by-election – the first time he was voting after moving to the UK from Iran eight years ago – Amir said he would be voting Reform.
“Ninety per cent of people I speak to said they will vote Reform, so I will vote Reform,” he said.
When pressed about him being an immigrant and whether he felt Reform policies were beneficial to him, Amir said: “Nigel Farage speaks for Iranian dissidents – I am sure 100 per cent of them would vote for him.
He differentiated between “good” and “bad” immigration – “good” being those who come to work and “bad” being those who “take benefits”.
While Amir was voting in the same way as his customers, Tim (not his real name), a plumber, told GB News he was “going to decide on the day”.
He said: “It depends what the candidates come out and say, but in reality, I don’t think it makes that much difference.”
Speaking to GB News, one Persian taxi driver said nine out of 10 of his customers intend to vote for Reform UK
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X/ROB KENYONWalking through the constituency, there was a lack of political paraphernalia outside people’s homes – the occasional “Vote Labour” in a window or a turquoise “Vote Reform” sign in someone’s front garden.
“Vote Andy” posters were placed in the windows of a derelict pub in Ashton-in-Makerfield.
Annie, the shop assistant, said she had not spoken to any canvassers yet and had only received two leaflets, Reform and Labour, through the letterbox.
Graham, a Reform party canvasser, admitted the people of Makerfield might be experiencing “election fatigue”, especially as he was not getting much luck with door-knocking.
He told GB News: “It has been two and half weeks since the local election and now we have got it again and a lot of people say, ‘oh Jesus, it’s them lot again’.
“They don’t open the door to anybody if that is the case.”
When discussing the sense of apathy among some of the electorate in the area, Graham described it as “a shame” there will be at least a third of people who do not vote.
He said: “It is a shame. It’s like a sense of despair for people.”