ANDY BURNHAM: ‘Gorton and Denton by-election is pivotal – do not let Reform poison in’
Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham sees the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election as a pivotal moment in British politics, he has shared his message for voters with the Mirror
Andy Burnham has warned that it is all to play for in the Gorton and Denton by-election(Image: Getty Images)
They say the bookies are never wrong. Take it from me: the Gorton and Denton by-election is an exception to this rule.
This is a race where there is no clear favourite, as they suggest, but one that is too close to call as we go into the last lap. It is all to play for – and there is a lot riding on it. I see this by-election as a defining moment in British politics.
It is why I put myself forward in the first place and why, even after I was blocked, I have still given everything to support the campaign of Labour’s excellent candidate, Angeliki Stogia. My reasons are simple.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer slams Reform’s plans to axe Equalities Act as anti-British
First, I think Reform have hit a ceiling in their support and, having recently welcomed the dregs of the Tory Party with open arms, are very beatable in this race. Second, I don’t want their poisonous politics to drip into Greater Manchester.
We are the UK’s most vibrant and fastest-growing city-region. We have built it into that with the politics of positivity and partnership between people, places and parties. The politics of division is a real and present danger to that success.
Remember: Farage, Tice and Yusuf were all members of the Tory Party when Maggie was doing her worst to the North in the 1980s. They were cheerleaders for her de-industrialisation and the deregulation of our buses. Their mates made a fortune from the privatisation of our utilities. Don’t ever be in any doubt about it: Reform UK are rank Tories in turquoise ties.
But they are not any old Tories. They are the worst of them. The ones in the pub who used to say Thatcher isn’t going far enough. Who would think nothing of throwing a bit of casual racism into the conversation. It has taken us a long time to undo the damage of that era. But finally, through devolution, Greater Manchester is rolling back the Thatcher years.
We are building the first homes for social rent in our city centre for 40 years. We have put our buses back under public control and are keeping the £2 single fare cap in place for the whole of 2026. And, after losing thousands of jobs, we are re-industrialising the birthplace of the industrial revolution.
How have we done it? By being a stable and welcoming city-region in which investors from around the world have confidence. Reform UK would put all that at risk by pitting people and communities against each other. By seeking to replace the politics of hope with the politics of fear.
I have spoken to a lot of people in Gorton and Denton. Don’t believe the bookies: Reform are very beatable and the seat is still winnable for Labour. I trust the good people of Greater Manchester to do what they have always done and vote for unity and reject the politics of division.
Could Milano-Cortina help bid for Great North Olympics?
It’s been that time again when we all become experts on the intricacies of the sport of Curling. I don’t know about you but I have enjoyed this Winter Olympics. And there is more to come with the Paralympics starting soon.
It’s certainly been Team GB’s best-ever. Take a bow mixed snowboarders Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale for making history with our first gold medal on snow. Milano-Cortina has also been the first Olympics when two cities have co-hosted the event, made possible by a change in IOC rules allowing whole regions to host.
This has got the Mayors across the North thinking. Supported by the great Brendan Foster, we are looking at whether we could launch a joint bid for the Olympics in the summer of 2040 in our great cities and across our stunning coastlines and countryside.
Can you imagine how incredible the Great North Olympics could be? Watch this space. We are deadly serious.
End of the ‘Twirlies’
I have written before in this column about the Northern phenomenon of the “Twirly”. Well, I have an update for you. In Greater Manchester, the Twirlies will soon be gone.
This group got their nickname by trying to use bus passes before 9.30am. It was never their fault. Many older and disabled people have things to do before that time. But a Government restriction left drivers shouting out of the cab: “Sorry love, yer twirly” (too early).
From a week on Sunday, we are removing this unfair rule permanently – and taking one worry off people’s shoulders. Sometimes it’s the smaller things like this that make a bigger difference than politicians realise. It will certainly save a lot of people a lot of money.
Whatever happens in the by-election, the message to the Government from the doorsteps of Gorton and Denton is simple: focus more on the cost-of-living crisis. Perhaps liberating all Twirlies across England is a good place to start?
Ukranians emerge from harsh winter to mark four years of war
On Tuesday, please spare a thought for the people of Ukraine. They are emerging from a winter far harsher than ours to mark to the fourth anniversary of an illegal Russian invasion which brought death and destruction on an appalling scale.
I have got to know the Mayor of Lviv well and have had a small insight into the living hell they are going through. What he and all Ukrainians need is our unequivocal backing and I’m proud that our Government is providing that.
And, going forward, what we should all call out more are the dodgy Russian connections of too many Right Wing politicians.
Brit Awards outside London show power is shifting
Usually when a by-election is over, the media spotlight moves on quickly to somewhere else. Well, you know what we’re like in Greater Manchester. We don’t give up attention that easily!
No sooner will the count be over than the final countdown will begin to the first-ever Brits outside of London at our amazing Co-op Live. This is one of the clearest signs yet of how the balance of power in the UK is finally shifting.
“Manny on the rise!” is the clarion call of one of our brightest new talents, Gorton-raised rapper OneDa. Sorry Sadiq, she’s right. London – you’re on notice!
Get ready for next generational divide – over pancakes
I like English traditions and at least one good thing about the social media age is it seems to be good at breathing new life into them. This Tuesday, I heard more people talking about making pancakes than I have for many a year.
I’m sure TikTok must have had something to do with it! Like Halloween, Pancake Tuesday looks set to be a bigger deal for years to come.
But get ready for the next generational divide. Instead of apple-bobbing versus trick-or-treating, the new big question is this: are you lemon-and-sugar or Nutella? For the record, I am firmly in the camp of the former!
