Just three points separate Labour and Reform UK in Greater Manchester, according to exclusive polling obtained by the Manchester Evening News. The survey, carried out by FocusData on behalf of campaign group Hope Not Hate, found Labour on 33.2 per cent of first preference support, with Reform UK close behind on 30.1 per cent. The Greens were third on 12.5 per cent, followed by the Conservatives on 11.1 per cent and the Liberal Democrats on 7.6 per cent.
Poll Details and Margin of Error
The poll of 1,143 people was conducted between May 22 and June 5 and weighted to be representative of Greater Manchester’s population. With a sample of 1,143, the poll carries a margin of error of approximately three percentage points, making it a potential dead-heat in the first round. Some 42 per cent said Greater Manchester was heading in the right direction.
Candidates and Campaign
The findings come as the race to succeed Andy Burnham begins to take shape following his move to Westminster. Burnham looks likely to become Prime Minister by mid-July after Sir Keir Starmer announced he was stepping down. Labour has selected Manchester council leader Bev Craig as its candidate for the July 30 contest. Craig, who has led the council since 2021, is regarded as a close ally of Burnham and will seek to present herself as the candidate of continuity. Reform UK is yet to formally announce its candidate, although Dan Barker has emerged as a leading contender. The Green Party has selected Trafford councillor Geraldine Coggins.
Trump Comments on Burnham
Donald Trump has called Andy Burnham ‘extremely liberal’ in his first public comments about the former Greater Manchester Mayor. Trump told reporters Burnham ‘probably won’t open up the North Sea’ for oil exploration, and that ‘the UK is dying’. Trump also patronised Burnham and Greater Manchester, saying he thought Burnham was ‘the mayor of a town’.
Lemn Sissay's Poem
Three years after it was reduced to rubble, the poem which adorned the gable end of Hardy’s Well pub in Rusholme is still the work Lemn Sissay is most recognised for. Legend has it, traffic calming measures had to be introduced on the road outside as so many crashes were caused by drivers slowing down to read it. Sissay has said he would love to see his landmark work returned to a wall in Manchester. “The beauty of the Hardy’s Well poem is that you can't force a landmark onto people. People choose a landmark,” he says. “Seeing the poem go was sad, but I had to accept that that's what happens. Things get broken down and built up again. But there's no reason why some inspiring person can't go ‘I'm having that’. Talk to me if you can use it.”
Heatwave
A staggering 101 million Europeans experienced temperatures of more than 35C today after the extreme heatwave continued its march across the continent. In the UK yesterday saw the thermometer reach 36.1C in Gosport, Hampshire, breaking the previous June record from the summer of 1976. Across Greater Manchester several schools and nurseries have been closed due to the heat, while passengers have once again endured chaos on the railways. Tomorrow is set to be red hot as well, with the Met Office forecasting highs of 34C in Greater Manchester, with a weather warning for thunderstorms from midnight.
