Andy Burnham Faces ‘Tough Game’ For Makerfield | Sacha Lord

[00:00:00]It's going to be a very, very tight race. It really is and you know, how many times have we seen polls that have been wrong? And let's not forget Reform literally wipes Labour out in the local elections in that area. So, it is going to be very, very tight. It's a tough game, but if anybody can do it, it's Andy Burnham.

[00:00:16]>> On Thursday, voters in the Makerfield constituency will decide whether they want to send Andy Burnham back to Westminster and they possibly to 10 Downing Street. The Times reported today that if he was to win that by-election, the mayor of Greater Manchester, who would soon be the ex-mayor of Greater Manchester, would launch an immediate leadership challenge against Keir Starmer. Well, joining me now in the studio is Sasha Lord, who's chair of the Night Time Industries Association and Andy Burnham's former Night Time Economy Advisor. Sasha, it's great to have you with us.

[00:00:49]>> Thank you.

[00:00:49]>> So, let's begin with Makerfield. I think you've been up there, up and about on the ground. What do you think is going to happen on Thursday?

[00:00:57]>> Well, I mean, firstly, I've got to say, I actually feel quite sorry for the residents because there are literally armies of volunteers knocking on doors.

[00:01:04]And they're not not just Andy's volunteers, but obviously Reform and I mean, it's just incredible to see.

[00:01:10]Um, it's going to be a very, very tight race. It really is and you know, how many times have we seen polls that have been wrong? And let's not forget Reform literally wipes Labour out in the local elections in that area. So, it is going to be very, very tight. It's a tough game, but if anybody can do it, it's Andy Burnham.

[00:01:28]>> Because the Makerfield constituency was Reform's 13th target seat and at the last general election, I think they got about 32% of the vote. It was the same candidate that they had then that they're running now again. So, if Andy Burnham was to win it win it and I think it might not be quite as tight as you're suggesting, but if he was to win it, that would give him a lot of momentum in the Labour Party and Labour's been trying to decide for most of the past year how to beat Reform and he would be an example of just how you do it. So, it would be a big moment for him and for Labour, would it not?

[00:02:01]>> It It would be huge and you know, I was a Labour Party member and Labour Party donor as well. And you know, I have to tell you I was so disappointed with the the PM and more so the Chancellor actually, what she did for my sector, hospitality, when she raised national insurance and then raised business rates, um crippled many businesses and and many jobs. We need change. And you know, I I can tell you in Maker field he feels you know, positive. People are enjoying the time with Andy and only yesterday he pulled into the car park. And he's always been someone that, you know, gets stopped for selfies and things like that. But it was like almost as if the Messiah had arrived, you know, everyone was chanting his name and it was great to see.

[00:02:40]>> Well, people talk a lot about the vibes around Andy Burnham, you know, with his black t-shirts and his jacket. He's got He's got his thing going on. But Sasha, what does he actually stand for? That we've read essays about Manchesterism, whatever that is. You know, and if this is an a guy is about to become an MP again and could be Prime Minister in quite short order. And there's a lot of questions in people's minds of but what is he going to do differently to Kier Starmer? You've been very critical, as you said, of this government for what it's done to your sector. But what would Andy Burnham do differently?

[00:03:12]>> I I think the thing that I'd say about Andy Burnham is he listens. He listens to people. Andy's one of us. And I'll give you the perfect example. 2018, he said to me, "What can he do to improve the night time economy in Greater Manchester?" And I I After a few months I said, "Well, Andy, we call ourselves the 24-hour party people, the 24-hour party city, but our trams stop at 11:00.

[00:03:36]So, how is that possible?" And anyway, he took buses back under public control, as everybody knows, and he brought back the night bus, which for people who finish at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 in the morning now, they don't have to be penalized with a taxi. It's capped at £2 and it's safer. So, he listens to people, he things on board. And, you know, we talk about Manchesterism, and he would be the first person to say that's not just about him. You know, today is 30 years since the IRA attack on on Manchester. And actually the architect that rebuilt it was Sir Howard Bernstein that, you know, what, he laid the foundations. And it's Andy and the 10 leaders of Greater Manchester at the 10 boroughs. They're the ones that created Manchesterism. Now, listening is all well and good when you're a mayor and you've got to work with local councils, but if you're Prime Minister, Sasha, that is another level entirely.

[00:04:23]You've I think you've got to have some kind of beliefs. And the criticism often gets thrown at Mr. Burnham is that he's changed his mind on a couple of things.

[00:04:31]I mean, to take a couple, you know, he's changed his view on trans rights having previously advocated for trans women to use female loos. He's now says he supports the Supreme Court ruling on migrant benefits. He said that he advocated for migrants on work or student visas have access to handouts.

[00:04:46]Now he's changed his mind. On the bond market, he said that, you know, the government was in hock to the bond markets. Now he supports the fiscal rules. And we've had the same on the EU again. So, he might be good at listening to people in Manchester, but if people are going to put their faith in him to be Prime Minister, how do you have confidence he's not going to just do all these U-turns on all big matters of national policy? Well, I think it's hypothetical, isn't it? You know, it's a it's a a big >> It's not It might not be hypothetical very soon.

[00:05:11]>> Well, we'll see, won't we? Um, you know, he's concentrating quite rightly on Thursday. You know, he he wants to win Make Us Field. And it is tight, but >> [gasps] >> you know, I I believe he needs time. He needs time to create If this hypothetical thing happen, he needs time to create his cabinet, to create his team, and policy. And the good news with Andy he does have experience. He has a very qualified CV. He's been in cabinet before. He understands how it works. So, yeah, we do we just need to see.

[00:05:39]>> Now, as the Times reported today, there's a sense that if he does win, maybe if he wins that by-election in quite a big way, there could be a move against the leadership. Knowing Andy as you do and knowing the Wakefield and knowing the Labour Party, do you think that's correct? Could you imagine him winning the by-election saying, "Look, I've got this mandate. I've shown I can beat with form. Now we can take that change in Wakefield and change the top of the Labour Party." Could that happen pretty quickly, do you think?

[00:06:05]>> He has been so blinkered and tunnel vision on Maker's Field. I think once he gets past Thursday night, if he gets the result that we all want, then you know, over the weekend he'll he'll sit back and and think about it. But, >> [laughter] >> you know, I can see you laughing there, but he is honestly, you know, he's all about this Thursday. It's and you know, I hope he goes for the top job. I really do. But, you know, knowing him, knowing the way he cares for people. He just wants the best for people.

[00:06:34]>> And you think he'd be he would address your criticisms of Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves? You know, he would do more >> Absolutely. So, straight straight away, he's come out and he said immediately he would look at reversing the NI increase.

[00:06:46]He would extend business rates by reducing a further 20% and back in February he did commit as well to VAT reduction for hospitality. They're the three things that we need to get the nighttime economy booming again because at the moment we're losing two pubs a day. You know, it it's it is suffering now more than it was during COVID. Since Rachel Reeves became Chancellor, we've lost 120,000 jobs and the vast majority of those jobs in hospitality are for 18 to 24 year olds who So, the idea of a Saturday job gets you through college or sixth form. They've gone.

[00:07:19]>> Well, there's a big question leads from all that, which is how much is going to cost and how much can be paid for. But, maybe we can come back to that one after the by-election. That was Sasha Lord, chair of the Night Time Industries Association. Now, we mentioned the Wakefield by-election, so here is a full list of candidates standing in that constituency. Jake Austin for the Liberal Democrats, Count Binface from the Count Binface Party, Andy Burnham for the Labour Party, Dan Clark Libertarian Party, John Dyer Independent, Ed Gemmell the Climate Party, Paul Good Independent, Howling Lord Hope of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, Robert Kenyon from Reform UK, Robert Pownall from Protect the Wild, Rebecca Shepherd from Restore Britain, Sarah Wakefield the Green Party, Peter Mark Ward for Rejoin EU, and Michael Winstanley for the Conservative and Unionist Party. You can see a full list on who can I vote for.

[00:08:11]co.uk.