One hundred days have passed since Andy Burnham's victory in the Makerfield by-election on June 18, a poll that returned him to Parliament and set him on a rapid path to becoming Labour leader and Prime Minister. The constituency, comprising former coal mining towns and villages just south of Wigan, was thrust into the centre of international politics after the resignation of Josh Simon MP triggered the historic campaign.
The voters of Abram, Ashton, Bickershaw, Bryn, Hindley, Orrell, Platt Bridge and Winstanley were placed under the microscope during the frantic contest. The name 'Makerfield' was seared into the national consciousness, and Burnham now faces the dual role of PM and constituency member—a situation not seen in Greater Manchester since Arthur Balfour, who represented Manchester East until 1905.
Voters divided on Burnham's ambition
Burnham has faced claims that the election was a 'stepping stone' for his ambition, with his opponent in June's Election Reform UK's Robert Kenyon claiming 'you might as well vote for his personal assistant' with regards to ongoing constituency representation. In Ashton town centre this week, constituent Roy Moor, 67, said he believed that Burnham's Makerfield gambit had put ambition over local representation.
He said: "I do think it was a stepping stone for him, we won't see him now. Look at what he's been saying this week, Brexit is back on the table, also the triple lock for pensioners. He wasn't talking about those issues when he was knocking on doors here in June was he?"
Nick Peet, 43, has a different view. "Politics aside I think we now have a different perspective at the top," he said. "At least people up here know he's rooted in the area with him being GM mayor. I think for long time politics has been very London-centric and I think we can see that at least is changing."
The Makerfield test and local issues
In his victory speech on June 19, Burnham named 'the Makerfield test' as the organising principle of his political policy agenda, a policy position with direct consequences for every spending decision, fiscal rule, and infrastructure commitment a Burnham government would make.
He said: "A Makerfield test at the heart of British politics will make sure that the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness. It's applied to any proposed government measure, it asks a single question: will this work for the people of Makerfield and the communities like it across England? If the result is negative, the policy does not proceed in its current form. The test is not a veto on difficult decisions. It is a reorientation of the default assumptions that govern how Westminster designs and evaluates public policy."
As a constituency MP, Burnham has become involved in some pressing local issues. Last week he welcomed an announcement that funding has been found to complete the refurbishment of a library deemed the 'beating heart of Ashton'. The Carnegie-built Grade II listed library in Ashton-in-Makerfield closed in July 2024 for essential repairs, with services temporarily moved to Jubilee Park. Originally closed for essential maintenance, subsequent surveys revealed more severe damage, particularly to the roof. Scaffolding will shortly be erected for external and structural repairs to the building on Wigan Road.
Burnham said: "Since becoming MP, I've been fighting hard to save Ashton library. That's because I understand what this library once meant to people – more than just bricks and mortar, it was the centre of this community, for families and kids, including my own."
Visits and casework since the election
Things have also moved forward on one of the biggest blights in the constituency, the Bickershaw illegal waste dump. Supported by the PM, Wigan council have selected a contractor to move the waste, which is the final step before getting the waste removed. A spokesperson for Burnham's team in Makerfield also pointed to other constituency matters he had been involved in.
She said: "Following sustained pressure from Andy on behalf of residents, amid concerns about oversight of the planning process, the council announced broad changes to its approach to planning, including pausing the deeply unpopular South Hindley development. On the campaign trail, Andy highlighted the immense challenges facing our high streets and pubs. He heard from residents, landlords, and shopkeepers about what they needed. Subsequently, he has given relief to pubs, and cracked down on dodgy shops on high streets." It is also understood that Burnham's team has received and responded to more than 1,000 casework enquiries since his election.
In July, the PM visited the Ashton Bears rugby league club as part of the announcement about his salary donation, and met with leaders of the club to discuss an ongoing project to improve their clubhouse, and the importance of grassroots sports. In August, Burnham visited Wigan and Leigh hospice, where he met with carers, leaders, and patients and announced that 15 per cent of his MPs salary for that month was going to be donated there. Early in September, he went to rugby league icon Billy Boston's funeral in Wigan. Burnham also returned to Stubshaw Cross club, the home of his by-election campaign, to make his first MP salary donation.
Other visits to the constituency or the wider Wigan area included the Armed Forces Day parade in Wigan town centre on June 27, visiting students at Outwood Academy in Hindley on July 3 and taking part in Bryn community walking day on July 5. Two constituency surgeries have been held at his Makerfield office. A glimpse of the wider international aspects of his role was seen when Burnham visited the Brian Boru club with the Irish Taoiseach, Micheál Martin in September. Brian Boru is the oldest Irish club in the country, with Burnham able to show the Taoiseach a corner of the Ashton-in-Makerfield community which has existed since 1889.
Constituent Pam Cryer, 39, lives in Bryn. She said: "On balance I think having him as an MP is of benefit. He may not be on top of some of the more minor issues around town, the smaller things, but there's no doubt he's in a position where he can influence things on a wider scale."
How to get in touch
A spokesperson for Andy Burnham said: "Andy's office is working hard to ensure maximum visibility across the constituency. We have launched a newsletter to go out to all constituents. This always contains information on how constituents can get in touch. The team regularly conducts door knocks to ask what constituents need help with. The Facebook inbox directs constituents on how to get in touch with our office and Andy advertises how to reach the team in almost every article he writes."
