Andy Burnham Warns UK Politics ‘Broken’ as Makerfield By-Election Approaches

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has declared national politics has reached a "dangerous place" where "people in this country cannot afford a good life." The Labour candidate for the Makerfield by-election next month asserted that Britain had been "on the wrong path for 40 years."

Burnham, who previously held senior Cabinet positions under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, stepped away from Westminster in 2017. His candidacy follows the resignation of sitting Labour MP Josh Simons, facilitating Burnham's potential return to the Parliamentary party. He is widely considered a future challenger for the Labour leadership.

Addressing questions about his pivot from his mayoral role, the 56-year-old stated, "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." He added that while proud of his regional record, "There's only so much I can do from this role."

Regarding the European Union, an issue highlighted by potential leadership rival Wes Streeting's call for re-joining, Burnham clarified his position. While he previously expressed a desire for Britain to rejoin the EU "in my lifetime," he now asserts his stance has been "skewed" by media coverage. "Ten years on, I'm going to be really blunt; I don't think Brexit has improved things," he said. "The economy is smaller and we have weaker control of immigration. That is my view."

However, Burnham emphasised, "I've not said that we should now focus on re-joining. You know, we had a vote, we shouldn't keep re-running the arguments linked to that vote." Instead, he advocates a "relentless" focus on domestic issues to "get this country functioning again" and make life more affordable for citizens, before re-evaluating external relationships.