Andy Burnham Dominates Greater Manchester Headlines Amidst Mayoral Election Battle

Andy Burnham, the current Mayor of Greater Manchester, is making a significant political move by bidding to return to Parliament in the Makerfield by-election, scheduled for June 18. This election is being held specifically to allow Mr. Burnham to run for a return to Westminster, and if successful, he has stated his intention to seek entry into any future Labour leadership contest. The race is anticipated to be close, with polls suggesting a strong challenge from Reform UK and other parties to Labour's traditional hold on the seat.

During a BBC hustings ahead of the poll, Mr. Burnham addressed the contentious issue of immigration, asserting that it is "fraying trust" in politics and requires proper handling. He advocated for greater utilization of detention centers for individuals without a valid claim to remain in the UK, emphasizing quicker processing and speedier returns. While acknowledging a reported 40% year-on-year reduction in small boat crossings and an increase in returns under the current government, he believes more needs to be done, stating that the government needs to "build on that and go further." Burnham articulated the public's desire for control and effective governance, stating, “It’s this thing about control, isn’t it? It feels like the country isn’t functioning properly, running things properly and the small boats issue completely speaks to that." He also argued for a more equitable approach to asylum dispersal, suggesting that "all areas of the country should play a role" in housing asylum seekers, rather than solely relying on areas with lower housing costs where the Home Office "overly uses those areas." He added that this is "a massive change that's needed."

Despite his active campaign efforts in Makerfield, Andy Burnham officially remains the Mayor of Greater Manchester, and the crucial work of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), which he chairs, continues. A GMCA spokesperson confirmed that he still serves as the elected Mayor and recently co-chaired a meeting of their Integrated Care Partnership. Decisions continue to be taken in line with the authority's constitution, with a focus on serving communities and partners. However, a GMCA meeting scheduled for May 29 was cancelled to allow councils more time to finalize leadership arrangements following local elections, a particular issue in Oldham where no political group secured more than a third of the seats. In Burnham's absence, senior figures like deputy mayors Kate Green and Paul Dennett (Salford council's mayor), Manchester council leader Bev Craig, and chief executive Caroline Simpson have stepped up to manage GMCA's ongoing responsibilities. These responsibilities impact three million people across ten boroughs and cover a wide range of issues from housing development to health, jobs, and culture. Should Mr. Burnham win the Makerfield seat, triggering his need to stand down as mayor, a Greater Manchester mayoral by-election has been tentatively scheduled for July 30. This date was chosen to maximize voter participation by avoiding the peak August holiday period, ensuring postal votes arrive before or just at the start of school holidays, and allowing sufficient preparation time for the shorter lead time of a mayoral by-election.

Public transport has emerged as a key campaign topic in Makerfield, particularly given Mr. Burnham's track record as mayor, overseeing the county-wide rollout of the Bee Network, which brought all buses under public control. However, the constituency itself presents unique challenges. Despite its proximity to major road links like the M6, M58, and A580 East Lancs Road, Makerfield's public transport connections to Manchester city centre and other parts of Greater Manchester are notably poor, often taking at least twice as long by public transport than by car. Local residents, such as Stephen from Hindley, find train services to Wigan satisfactory with a £10 train pass offering a year’s free off-peak travel, but express issues with bus connectivity. Census data from 2021 reveals that public transport use in Makerfield is significantly lower than in other parts of Greater Manchester, with nearly 66% of people commuting by car or van and only 4.1% using buses, coaches, or trains. Furthermore, Office for National Statistics data indicates that large numbers of people from the Wigan borough travel outside the region for work, with Wigan showing the lowest number of commuters to Manchester despite having the second highest population within the region. While some public transport users, like Sam and Katie Lowe, expressed satisfaction with the current state of services and the Bee Network’s impact, concerns exist about missed connections due to delays. A couple near Pemberton station noted a reduction in bus services and a worry that Burnham, if elected to Westminster, might "forget about us" once he is in London.

Mr. Burnham has also pledged a new "Counterfeit Street" style crackdown on organized crime to restore pride in high streets. During an election campaign visit in Ashton, he promised "high impact" police and local authority action to tackle organized crime, including drug dealing and money laundering, stating that "the days of areas like ours being ignored are over." He called for the expansion of targeted community police operations, similar to GMP’s Operation Vulcan, which successfully closed over 210 counterfeit shops and made more than 230 arrests on Manchester's Bury New Road ("Counterfeit Street") after the pandemic. His proposals include granting council planning authorities more control over the types of use for business premises to prevent an "over-concentration" of certain businesses like vape shops. Additionally, he suggested implementing higher business rates on developments such as logistics warehouses to provide relief or even eliminate business rates for pubs and clubs (proposing a 20% cut next year), and for smaller family-run businesses, including independent shops, restaurants, and cafes. Furthermore, he vowed to push for sweeping new parliamentary powers to combat the "scourge" of illegal e-bikes, which he described as causing "misery" to local residents. He emphasized, "For too long, Westminster has been allowed to ignore areas like ours – I’m fighting this by-election to change that."

The Makerfield by-election, set for June 18, features 14 candidates. These include Jake Austin (Liberal Democrats), Count Binface (Count Binface Party), Andy Burnham (Labour and Co-operative Party), Dan Clarke (Libertarian Party), John Dyer (Independent), Ed Gemmell (Climate Party), Paul Gould (Independent), Howling Laud Hope (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party), Rob Kenyon (Reform UK), Robert Pownall (Independent), Rebecca Shepherd (Restore Britain), Sarah Wakefield (Green Party), Peter Ward (Rejoin EU Bring in PR), and Michael Winstanley (Conservative Party). Among the more unusual proposals, Count Binface has promised working train wifi, renaming HS2, and conscripting those who play loud phone music on public transport, a policy that garnered mixed reactions from voters. Despite the diverse range of candidates and policies, a growing fatigue with the election process is evident among Makerfield voters, with many reporting an overwhelming number of leaflets and door-to-door campaigners, leading some to express disinterest in the outcome.