Beer-drinking Andy Burnham is “our last chance” to save Britain’s boozers, it is claimed. The Guinness-guzzling leadership contender, 56, is credited with rejuvenating Manchester’s nightlife in his time as mayor.
And his ex-nighttime economy advisor Sacha Lord believes he can do the same nationally as PM if he wins the Makerfield byelection and defeats sir Keir Starmer in a leadership contest.
He said: “We’re losing two pubs a day. It’s never been this bad. It needs to get back on track and it needs to get back on track very quickly. My mates are telling me the days of going for a few pints on a Friday night are gone because it’s too expensive.
“The thought of going on holiday is a massive luxury. I feel like Andy’s our last hope. When I was appointed, he asked what do you need to turn this around? I said ‘we call ourselves 24 hour party people, but how can that be possible when the trams finish at 11?’
“Night time workers were getting punished by having to pay for taxis home from work. He had the night bus capped at £2 and he took that on he listened.
“We need the biggest change to our society. They’re now capping the bus fares in Liverpool and West Yorkshire. Where he lead, people are following.”
Mr Lord said Greater Manchester Mayor Burnham is forever running late for meetings as people stop him in the street to say hello. And he believes Burnham’s relatability was his biggest asset heading into the byelection and a possible leadership challenge.
He added: “I’ve met Keir Starmer a couple of times and I think he’s a nice guy, he’s just not a good prime minister. I just don’t think he is connecting. You wouldn’t want to go for a pint with him. I think people would go for a pint with Andy.
“He loves a pint. He can hold his own as well. He drinks Guinness, but to be fair, he loves anything. My wife’s not into politics at all and she watched his campaign video and said ‘this is probably the first time we could have a prime minister who speaks like us’.
“That’s because he is one of us. Last month, he went to see James at the Co-Op Live and they heard he was coming and they offered him a box, but he said no. He wanted to stand in the crown and feel the energy of the people.
“He could sit in the boardroom at Everton, but he’s a season ticket holder and he stands on the concourse with the fans. I think he’s Labour’s last chance to reconnect with voters. He’s got proper Labour values. They’re completely off the mark at the moment.”
Mr Burnham this week accused Westminster of devastating working-class communities across the North. He said a vote for him would be a “vote to change Labour because Labour needs to change”.
Also on the ballot for the byelection is Reform UK candidate Robert F Kenyon, who finished in second place in the 2024 election in Makerfield, 5,000 votes behind Labour.
Businesswoman Rebecca Shepherd is due to stand for Restore Britain while Alan ‘Howlin’ Laud Hope is the Monster Raving Loony Party candidate.
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