Why Makerfield changes everything | Tim Shipman, James Lyons, Luke Tryl & Michael Simmons
6/19/202634 min
Andy Burnham has won what may come to be seen as the most consequential by-election in recent memory. Political journalism has a tendency towards hyperbole, but the situation is clear: Burnham is on his way to Westminster with significant backing to take on Keir Starmer; he has proved that he can beat Reform on a ‘stop Starmer’ ticket and will now look to translate that message nationally; he also appears to have united the left behind him, with the Lib Dems and Greens barely registering in Makerfield.
Meanwhile, the right is splintered. Reform’s momentum has been seriously dented, while the Tories have been buoyed by a welcome by-election victory in Aberdeen South. Big questions remain: will Starmer step aside with decorum, or subject the country to a painful Labour leadership contest? And after their fifth by-election defeat, where does this leave Nigel Farage?
Political editor Tim Shipman is joined by a panel of guests and experts to unpack Andy Burnham’s win in Makerfield and the wider ramifications of a huge day in British politics.
Become a Spectator subscriber today to access this podcast without adverts. Go to spectator.co.uk/adfree to find out more.
For more Spectator podcasts, go to spectator.co.uk/podcasts.
Contact us: podcast@spectator.co.uk
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsTim Shipman· Host0:00
Given the state of the world today, it's unsurprising that the specter of inflation is never very far away. But if you have savings in cash, it's an ever-present threat. Alliance Whitman, however, aims to give you returns that beat inflation. Dating back to 1888, the trust now manages around £5 billion in assets, and amazingly, has paid an increased dividend every single year for the last 59 years. So if you're looking to move beyond cash and into investing in stocks and shares, it's an ideal way to do so without leaving your comfort zone. Investment value may rise or fall. Dividend increase is not guaranteed. [upbeat music] In politics and journalism, political journalism in particular, we spend a lot of time talking about the big seismic moments. The word historic is bantered around with probably too much abandon usually. But the people of Makerfield delivered a result which does have the potential to be historic, and those of us that like to look back at the long trail of political history, we often look for moments where things changed, sliding door moments where the course of political history went down a different path. So stick around for the next 45 minutes or so, and we are gonna unpack everything about the Makerfield by-election, the Aberdeen South by-election, and what it all means for the country, for Keir Starmer, for the Labor Party, and for you at home. Now, to help us unpack the results, we have a series of experts and commentators. We've got Luke Trill, top pollster on the numbers, where shortly you'll be joined