Voters in Manchester's Burnage ward go to the polls on Thursday (September 10) for a by-election that could prove a 'huge' moment for the city's political future, according to town hall sources. The seat was previously held by Bev Craig, who stepped down after being elected Greater Manchester mayor in July.
The Green Party won the ward in May's local elections by 811 votes, and sources suggest the party could make a 'statement' by taking a former Labour council leader's seat.
Labour 'realistic' about chances
Sources in Manchester Labour admit the group is 'realistic' about its chances in Burnage, saying that slashing the Green majority would be a sign of progress. One source said it would be 'catastrophic' if the Greens were to win and increase their majority to 1,000 votes or more, sparking fears about the next council elections in May.
Manchester's Green group has openly spoken about its aim to 'take control of running the council' from Labour in future, following its success in the local elections earlier this year.
Voters raise local issues
Residents and businesses in the ward have highlighted a range of concerns, from speeding cars to safety issues and 'crumbling' pavements. Jayne Mellor, 58, said: "The pavements are horrendous, some of them have holes that go so deep they're full of water when it rains, it's a nightmare." She added: "But look at Didsbury not far away and it's all a bit nicer, it's like Burnage doesn't matter." Asked how she would vote, Ms Mellor said: "It won't be Labour."
Chris, a 65-year-old trader who owns three shops near the Kingsway junction, said none of the candidates have spoken to him about their plans. He said: "If this was Wilmslow it would be done, but because it's Burnage and it's seen as being rough, it's not. We had to pay to fix this pavement because customers said they couldn't get to the shops, it cost £10,000, but we're struggling too."
Safety and policing concerns
Mary Coleman, 80, said: "The biggest issue we've got is these ones going round on their bikes [with masks], I think it is a big problem because they're speeding on the road and pavements. We never see the police around here. So what can we do about it? I think if we had a more visible police presence it would help." She added: "I voted Labour in the past, but it feels like nothing is being done about it."
Talha Afzal, 26, a security guard who has lived in the area for a year, called for more policing after his car was broken into three months ago. He said: "More police in the area would help, especially at night."
John Lavelle, 60, who runs a barber shop on Burnage Lane, said: "I can't slate the area at all, it is a good place to be and there are a lot of lovely people here," but added that "some of the pavements are in a shocking state."
Ward profile and candidates
Burnage has nearly 14,000 voters and is popular with families and workers commuting into Manchester city centre. The ward includes part of southern Levenshulme and is part of the Gorton and Denton constituency, where the Green Party's Hannah Spencer is the local MP. Manchester council is run by Labour, which holds 63 seats, with the Greens on 21, Reform UK on seven, and the Lib Dems on four.
Chief Inspector Rick Flanagan, from GMP's South Manchester Neighbourhood Policing Team, said: "Every week, officers from our local neighbourhood team undertake proactive action to tackle all manner of criminality – from hotspot patrols to crucial engagement with residents and businesses." He added that Operation Hurricane is tackling nuisance off-road bikes and that a dedicated traffic enforcement operation has seen more than three hundred vehicles stopped, resulting in 12 arrests and 19 seizures.
Candidates standing in the by-election are Carl Austin-Behan (Labour), Bhupinder Kumar (Conservative), Heather McDonagh (Reform UK), Daoud Nawaz (Green), Gaz Ranjha (Workers Party), and Abdullah Vavdiwala (Lib Dem).
