Makerfield or bust: Burnham goes for broke
6/12/202645 min
With a week to go until Makerfield heads to the polls in what may turn out to be the most consequential by-election in British history, host Lucy Fisher, northern England correspondent Jen Williams and deputy political editor Jim Pickard are on the ground hearing from voters in the seat. Polls and bookmakers confidently predict an Andy Burnham victory but they discuss whether that narrative is too neat and what issues are really shaping voters’ choices. The result could determine not just who represents Makerfield, but also the future of the country if Burnham wins and successfully challenges Sir Keir Starmer for the premiership. Plus, they weigh up the shock resignation of defence secretary John Healey who has blasted Starmer’s government for being “unwilling” to commit sufficient resources to protecting the country.
Follow: Lucy @LOS_Fisher or @lucyfisher.ft.com; Jen @JenWilliams_FT or @jenwilliamsft.bskyb.social; Jim on @PickardJE or @pickardje.bskyb.social
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Political Fix was presented by Lucy Fisher and produced by Persis Love and Nisha Patel. Manuela Saragosa is the executive producer. Original music and sound engineering by Breen Turner. The FT’s global head of audio is Flo Phillips.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 1· Soundbite0:00
[upbeat music] I just want somebody fresh, somebody new, somebody from here, somebody who gets it A flavor there of what voters are saying in Makerfield We, we need somebody with a backbone Well, we vote people in that's supposed to do what they say they're gonna do.
Speaker 3· Soundbite0:14
None of 'em have so far [upbeat music] Welcome to Political Fix from the Financial Times with me, Lucy Fisher.
Lucy Fisher· Host0:21
Now, we are recording this in a pub in Makerfield, where I've been on the ground, uh, for two days now, trying to take the political temperature ahead of the by-election next week. It is shaping up to be potentially the most historic by-election in British history. It could change the course of the country if Labour candidate Andy Burnham wins and successfully challenges Sir Keir Starmer, as we know he's planning to do, for the premiership. And we're just sitting down to record as John Healey, the Defense Secretary, has sensationally resigned in protest over the financial settlement for Britain's military. So, so much to discuss here with Jennifer Williams, the FT's Northern England correspondent. Hi, Jen.
Jen Williams1:02
Hi, Lucy And Jim Pickard, the FT's Deputy Political Editor.
Lucy Fisher· Host1:06
Hi, Jim Hey, Lucy. [upbeat music] So to set the scene first, I should say we are in the Buck's Head pub in Abram in the Makerfield constituency. So big shout-out and thanks to Chris, the landlord, for letting us record here, especially as there is a bingo game going on, uh, behind us that you m- might hear. Um, we're having a bit of lunch. Jen, you've fallen prey to stereotype. You're eating ...
Jen Williams1:29
I am doing the Andy Burnham