Alan Stephens is in good spirits. He's sat in the beer garden of his local after a Saturday morning bike ride with his son. The sun's out, it's the day before his 45th birthday and he's just ordered his first pint. But it's another first that Alan is keen to talk about. On June 18 when Makerfield goes to the polls for a by-election that could have a big say in the future direction of the UK, Alan says he will vote for the very first time in his life. But he's yet to make up his mind about which box he'll be ticking.
First-time voter torn between Reform and Restore
I want my kids to be able to walk down the streets and feel safe, but I also want to re-join the EU, he says as he explains he's wavering between Reform and Restore. I try to stay away from politics, he says when asked why he's never voted before. But things aren't improving. Everything's going up in price but our wages aren't going up. The government just wants to tax everything. My Mrs is Labour and we've had many, many debates about it. But half of this estate will be voting for Restore I think.
Barman backs Reform despite candidate controversy
Inside the Hawk, a flat-roofed pub on the Hawkley Hall estate, barman Dean Gregory is preparing for the arrival of a 45-strong hen party. But unlike Alan, the 39-year-old knows exactly who he'll be voting for. Reform, he says firmly. I've had enough of this country, it's time to take back control. Asked what he means by that, he says: It's about time we started looking after our own people again. A lot of old Labour fans in here aren't going to vote for them this time. The conversation moves on to Reform candidate Rob Kenyon's old social media posts in which he declared himself a 'sexist', shared a sexually explicit post about Carol Vorderman and said some women have abortions for 'vanity purposes'. Banter is banter, said Dean as he shrugged off the controversy. People take things too seriously, that's the world we live in now. You can't open your mouth without someone saying you're racist or bullying.
Labour family loses trust but still votes
In the Hawk's games room Andrea and Paul Gibson-Thomas are having a lunchtime drink with their dogs Teddy the Alsatian and King Charles spaniel Gizmo. Andrea says she comes from a Labour family, and praises Keir Starmer for keeping the UK out of the war in Iran, but says like many people she's lost trust in politics in recent years. I think they are all crooks to be honest, but you've still got to vote because if you don't then you don't get a say, she said. Covid lost a lot of people's faith in politics. They were doing exactly what they wanted and calling it business meetings while the rest of us were in lockdown. They will promise you world to get in, then it all gets changed. I think that's why so many of the youth just aren't interested in politics. We have a 25-year-old and he's not voting. He moans about the price of fuel but if you don't vote then you can't complain.
Burnham supporters hope for national impact
In the Freemasons Arms in nearby Goose Green husband and wife Dave and Donna Unsworth, 54 and 58, are having an afternoon pint while watching the rugby. It's a big deal, says Dave as he considers the potential consequences of the by-election. We're basically voting for a new Prime Minister. And it's not just the country watching, it's the rest of the world too. We are in spotlight. A long-term fan of Andy Burnham, Dave says he hopes the Greater Manchester Mayor wins in Makerfield and goes on to become Prime Minister. I always thought he was good, but he was really good in covid the way he stood up against the government, he says. He didn't do himself any favours with the congestion charge but hopefully he will make some changes. He seems like a genuine fella. There are a lot of people who will vote for Burnham just to get rid of Keir Starmer, whether that's right or wrong I don't know. Farage just seems like he's in it for himself and that party in general are just too right-wing, for me.
Donna shares views on Reform and Burnham
Donna agrees with her husband's views on Reform, but says if Burnham does make it all the way to Downing Street he faces a very difficult task. I think it's an impossible job, she says. Does he think he can turn it round so much that he can win a General Election? All the other groups, all they're interested in is immigration. That's all they care about. I don't think there will be a big Reform vote round her (In Goose Green) I think they'll get their votes in other parts of Wigan.
Pessimism and apathy in Worsley Mesnes
In the Tippings Arms, next to the Westwood Way flyover in Worsley Mesnes, the mood is less optimistic. Sat in the corner with his wife, Anthony, who declined to give his surname, says he won't be voting and hasn't done for several years. I'm sick of all the parties, he said. Over the last 20-25 years, the country has gone to s**t, but they all make sure to keep paying the shareholders. They think people are thick, but people don't forget. They all say they are going to change things, but they don't. But what Burnham has done for Manchester, if he can do that for the country then I think he'll be Prime Minister for the next 10 years. Peter, sat at the next table with his dog Pebbles, is of a similar mind. It's all b******s and you can write that down, he says. They all feather their own nests. They don't care about me and you.
Undecided voter highlights key issues
Stood at a bar another local declined to reveal which way he'll be voting. I've gone from one to the other in the past, he says as the barmaid pulls him a pint of Fosters. It's down to who comes up with the best ideas and then if they come up with the goods. Asked what the big issues the area faces he says: Same as everywhere else. We are looking after too many people. Then the rest of the poor sods who have to work all their lives, especially women, when they keep putting the retirement age up and up. It's criminal really. There's only one reason to vote for Reform. If that's what you want then that (Kenyon's social media posts) wouldn't put you off. But Burnham has done everything he said he would for Manchester. You can judge him on that as long just as he remembers his roots and that not everything is about London.
