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Andy Burnham, the current mayor of Greater Manchester, has expressed concern about the state of national politics in the UK, describing it as having reached a “dangerous place” where many people are unable to afford a decent standard of living. Speaking on BBC Radio Manchester ahead of the Makerfield by-election scheduled for 18 June, Burnham criticized the direction the country has taken over the past four decades, stating that Britain has been “on the wrong path for 40 years.”
In this initial interview of a series featuring key candidates for the by-election, Burnham explained his motivation for possibly stepping down from his mayoral role. He emphasized the importance of political change, warning, “I really believe that politics in this country is at a moment where we either change it or it really becomes quite, quite broken and people lose faith completely.” Burnham, 56, who previously served in senior cabinet roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, left Westminster politics in 2017 but decided to seek election in Makerfield following the resignation of the sitting Labour MP, Josh Simons.
Burnham is considered a likely contender to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as leader of the Labour Party and perhaps become Prime Minister, should he win the Makerfield seat. While proud of his accomplishments as Greater Manchester mayor, he acknowledged the limitations of his current position, saying, “There’s only so much I can do from this role.” He highlighted the need for national political reforms to revitalize the economy and make life more affordable for people not only in Makerfield but across Greater Manchester.
When questioned by listeners about his position on the European Union, Burnham distanced himself from calls to rejoin the bloc, despite having previously expressed a desire to see Britain back in the EU “in my lifetime.” He criticized the media for misrepresenting his stance and stated bluntly, “I don’t think Brexit has improved things. The economy is smaller and we have weaker control of immigration. That is my view.” However, he made it clear he does not support “re-running the arguments” about the Brexit vote and instead wants to focus on domestic priorities over the next five to ten years. Burnham also addressed concerns about the HS2 rail project, criticizing Whitehall’s centralized decision-making and advocating for a more localized, “ground up” approach to infrastructure development, which he believes would better support economic growth, particularly in Manchester
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