Makerfield residents voice frustration and excitement as by election campaign intensifies

People in Ashton-in-Makerfield are starting to get fed up.

Fed up of journalists descending on their towns. Fed up of ‘celebrity’ politicians turning up at their pubs. Fed up of being little more than extras in a drama played out in the papers and on social media. 

It’s no surprise. For two weeks, the constituency has been at the centre of a political storm as Labour’s Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham,

Reform’s Rob Kenyon and a list of other hopefuls prepared to face off one of the most important by-elections in years.

The LDRS ventured to Ashton to speak to people about how they’re feeling as the area prepares to head to the polls on June 18.

It’s a tough gig. Many a local turn on their heels as they hear the word ‘journalist’, or simply let out a quick ‘no’ as they speed walk past.

Asked how he felt about politicians and reporters descending on the town, one man, stepping out of Galloways Bakers, said: “Sick to the teeth of it. And that’s why I’m not going to talk to you.”

Some people feel the weight of responsibility of ‘effectively choosing the next prime minister’. Others feel the circus has gone too far, with the constituency turned into little more than a backdrop for political psychodrama and ‘playground spats’ between political figures.

“It does make me angry to be honest,” said Charlotte Edwards, 64. “When it’s over, we’re not going to see them again are we? We certainly won’t see Nigel Farage again.

“What about after that? Are they going to do anything for Makerfield? Are they going to make it a better town? Probably not. It’s all empty promises.

“They’re all here just for press, to make out that they’re doing a lot more than they actually are.”

Ms Edwards moved to the area ‘for love’ 10 years ago. She isn’t sure which way she’ll vote yet, but she’s not convinced by Restore.

“It all feels performative,” she adds. “We saw Restore out litter picking the other day. They’ve never done anything like that before – they’re never going to do it again.”

She’s also been left unimpressed by the public spats between Mr Burnham and Mr Farage.

Ms Edwards has some stern advice for the two of them: “I think it’s really childish. They’re supposed to be running the country and all they’re doing is mudslinging. It’s playground stuff. Man up and do something for the people. Stop telling tales on each other. Everybody’s got a past.”

She’s not the only local sceptical about the long-term impact for the town.

“People don’t really care about Ashton,” one man said. “As soon as the by-election is over they’ll all clear out and forget about the place.”

Another said: “You don’t see them or hear from them until they want your vote.”

Not everyone is so jaded. Steve, a 73-year-old retired financial servant, sees it as an exciting moment for the town and the country.

He adds: “It’s not something what happens every day so obviously there’s a lot of attention. We have a lot of responsibility here I think, because we might be choosing the next prime Minister. It’s exciting and it feels good – as long as it goes the right way.”

For the Makerfield local, who was born in the constituency, ‘the right way’ means Mr Burnham winning the seat.

He adds: “People keep saying he’s using us as a stepping stone to get into parliament and that he’ll just dump us when he gets in there.

“To me that’s codswallop… it’s rubbish. It’s in his interest to take care of Makerfield because next time it comes round to a general election, he wants to get his seat again. I think we’ll end up with some excellent investment. Makerfield will have his ear – possibly the ear of the PM.

“Burnham is a man of his word. He’s a professional politician who’s already proven he gets stuff done. Let me put it this way, if I had a blocked toilet, I wouldn’t ask Andy Burnham to come and fix it for me. But I might ask Rob Kenyon.”

Others are equally excited by the power in the hands of Makerfield residents and see it as an opportunity to start a sea change in British politics.

“Andy Burnham’s never here, he only comes out when the telly is here,” pensioner Barry says while perched on the edge of his car boot with rescue border collie Mary. “Reform talk the talk. But we won’t know of they can walk the walk until we give them a chance. I think it’s time for that.”

Barry thinks Mr Burnham will get in because of Restore ‘splitting the vote’ – saying some of his friends have moved from Reform to Restore and are trying to convince them to do the same.

“I just don’t think Restore are ready yet,” he adds. “But I do think this country is heading towards a civil war and something needs to be done.”

He says he ‘hasn’t noticed’ much difference in the local town because of media presence and fly-in politicians – but later explains he gets his news from social media.

“And GB News is on all day, every day,” his wife chimed in, returning with their weekly shop.

Some businesses in the area are trying to strike a real balancing act because of the way views and arguments can travel on social media or in the news. Joanne Ellison has owned Welsh eatery Cwtch Cafe on Gerard Street for six years.

Ms Ellison said: “We try to stay as neutral as possible because I don’t think it’s fair on the staff to be questioned by customers or journalists about what party they’re aligned to. At the end of the day personal views and work shouldn’t be mixed.

“Luckily we’ve not had people badgering us so far.

“But it’s definitely been a lot busier outside, there’s been camera crew around and people interviewing people on the street. My family are all from South Wales so they see a bit of it on the news and they text me when they see the cafe on the telly.

“I don’t think the interest will last. I think a lot of people are just jumping on the bandwagon.”

Not all organisations have been so lucky. The Hamlet CIC, an organisation and cafe that helps young adults with additional develop life skills and independence, was sucked into the eye of a media storm when Nigel Farage turned up unannounced with a big entourage of men, at the same time

Mr Burnham happened to be giving a ‘non-political’ talk in a gazebo in the garden.

Gemma Crompton, director of The Hamlet, later created a video explaining the unexpected visit had been ‘overwhelming’ for the young adults who work at the cafe. And the incident put the cafe, which is responsible for safeguarding its vulnerable trainees, in the centre of a public political spat.

“Organisations supporting vulnerable young adults should never be placed in a position where political leaders and campaign teams arrive unannounced with significant media presence and security personnel,” she said in a public video, adding that ‘everybody, of any political persuasion, is welcome at the cafe if they come with the right intentions’.

Mike Molyneux, 63, owner of the Tackle and Bait shop off the main high street in Ashton, hasn’t missed an opportunity to speak to the press. He’s been on telly for the BBC twice already, he said.

His claim to fame is that he’s known Mr Burnham for 40 years as he used to live down the road from him.

“The first time he wanted to be an MP in Leigh he knocked on my door,” he said. “I told him you might be Prime Minister one day, and he laughed and walked off. Looks like it might come true.”

But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be voting for the Greater Manchester mayor.

“Immigration is a big issue round here,” he says. “English people being treated wrong.

“I just think everything was better in the eighties. We all had nowt and we were happy. Because everyone was in the same boat – and we didn’t have phones.”

Wherever they fall on the political spectrum, there are a lot of people in Makerfield who are sceptical of both the media attention and the big names that are descending on the area.

“They’ll keep coming until the byelection is over with,” Steve, the retired financial servant, predicted. “I just hope the press will keep an eye on what they do after the election, too.”