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‘This could be the turning point’ – Andy Burnham’s speech in full as he wins the Makerfield by-election

"Everyone knows that politics isn’t working."

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 19th June 2026

Andy Burnham has clinched the victory in the crucial Makerfield by-election.

After the polls closed at 10pm last night (18 June), victory for Burnham was officially declared at just gone 3am – with the Greater Manchester Mayor, now Labour MP, winning 24,927 votes (54.8% vote share) and a majority of 9,231.

Burnham’s victory is a sizeable majority over second place, Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon – who, despite claims he might be able to seize the constituency, won just 15,696 votes (34.5%).

This is, however, Reform’s second-highest ever vote share at a by-election, just over 4% less than 2025’s Runcorn and Helsby.

Restore Britain’s Rebecca Shepherd came third, with 3,111 votes (6.8%).

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The turnout in Makerfield was 58.75%, which is higher than the turnout for the constituency at the General Election in 2024, and, even more surprisingly, the third-highest by-election turnout since World War II.

Andy Burnham’s victory speech in full

“Everyone knows that politics isn’t working. Everyone can feel that the country isn’t where it should be. Tonight could, just could, be the turning point.

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“From here on, I will give everything I have got to make it so. To ensure the name Makerfield is forever synonymous with bringing about the change this country needs, bringing back something we’ve lost – hope. Hope for the future.

“I am proud that this place has shone in the world’s spotlight for the last few weeks and the warmth, humour and hospitality of its people has been on show for all to see. It will never be a stepping stone to me, but instead will be my touchstone. A Makerfield test at the heart of British politics will make sure that the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness.

“I spoke in the campaign about the need to change politics. I promised to lead by example, from the front, as your Member of Parliament.

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“I know people who traditionally vote for the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, and perhaps more recently for Reform UK, have given me their support in this election. I will always have respect to them for that. And out of respect for them, I will always take a place-first, rather than a party-first, approach and I will focus on problem-solving rather than point-scoring.

“And I will work hard after this by-election to heal the divisions of this campaign. And let it be really understood that I will be your MP, however you voted.

“When this borough went to the polls in May, it made a loud cry for change. In this campaign we have begun to answer that. But I do say to my own party – this is a final chance to change. This is what people said directly to me on the hundreds of doorsteps that I stood on. We must hear it, we must act upon it and we must get it right. There will be no second chance.

“But there is a chance now from this result tonight to build a new politics based on unity and hope.

“Turning away from the path that takes us to a divided, dark politics of the kind we see in the United States. We must now take this path and put this country back on the right path, and bring people back together and get things working properly again.

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“It is with some sadness that this result brings an end to my wonderful nine years as mayor of Greater Manchester.

“This city region has given so much to me. And it is a wrench to leave the job I love. But I am not leaving the service of Greater Manchester. I’ve always been clear that it can’t achieve everything it should be and we can’t close the north-south divide, and we can’t make all the great English cities be what they should be without big change at the national level.

“I always knew one day I would seek to go back to Westminster to complete that unfinished business so that Makerfield and Greater Manchester, and the north of England, can fulfil their potential.

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“This result will bring about a country that works fairly for everywhere and for everybody.

“People here have voted for change. They have voted for more power for the North and everywhere forgotten by Westminster. They have voted for hope. Now, let’s give that back to them.”

Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons

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Huge tunnel through the Peak District linking Manchester and Sheffield moves one step closer

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Huge tunnel through the Peak District linking Manchester and Sheffield moves one step closer

Ambitions plans to build a tunnel beneath the Peak District to connect Manchester and Sheffield has moved a step closer.

The proposed tunnel, which could completely transform travel between the two cities, has received a major £500,000 funding boost.

Picture the Eurostar, but plonk it going across the Pennines instead of London to Paris.

If it all goes ahead, journeys between South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester would be much quicker and easier, cutting times by up to 30 minutes, The Sheff reports.

The whopping £500,000 funding has been secured by infrastructure group Future Works, which is behind the proposed Trans-Pennine Connect scheme.

The money will be used to carry out technical and environmental feasibility studies to establish whether the project could actually go ahead.

The plans would see a 14-mile dual-carriageway tunnel built underneath the Peak District, potentially running between Langsett in South Yorkshire and Hollingworth or Tintwistle in Greater Manchester.

Michael Dnes, Future Works co-founder, said: “We’re very excited to be working with UK Dynamism Fund to unlock the next stage of our project.

“This funding will let us complete the technical and environmental feasibility studies needed to get the right outcomes for people and the Peak District as we deliver better transport connections across the Pennines.”

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard has previously voiced his support for the proposals, describing them as a “really exciting opportunity”.

Speaking at a South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority meeting back in September, he said: “We all know the frustrations of travelling between two of the North’s biggest and best cities.”

He also stressed that any plans would need to take environmental considerations very seriously, particularly the impact on wildlife in the Peak District.

The project is still in very early stages, and the funding doesn’t indicate that planning has been approved. We’ll keep you updated with any updates as and when we know.

So, what do you make of this proposal? Would you be keen for a drive through the tunnel?

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Featured image – Minku Kang on Unsplash

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Town just outside Greater Manchester named one of UK’s ‘happiest’ places to live

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

The UK’s happiest places to live for 2026 have been named, and a town just outside Greater Manchester is in the top 10.

Just as it has done for the last 14 years now, Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index, which explores exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlights the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year.

This year, thousands of residents across more than 200 locations told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community – from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.

The survey also outlines the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.

So, where do we have in the top 10 then?

Well, Skipton in North Yorkshire – last year’s winner – only ranked seventh in this year’s study, making way for Richmond upon Thames in London to take the coveted stop spot, but looking a little further down the list, you’ll find the Lancashire town of Chorley in sixth place.

Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.

The UK’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026

  1. Richmond upon Thames
  2. Harrogate
  3. Cirencester
  4. Monmouth
  5. Hove
  6. Chorley
  7. Skipton
  8. Llandrindod Wells
  9. Horsham
  10. Hexham

With a deep legacy rooted in the Industrial Revolution, Chorley is now a popular place to live full of amenities, good local schooling options, and convenient transport links – with an average property price of £234,387, and average rent costing £1,011 per month.

When it comes to the wider rankings, and the North West ranking as a whole, two Greater Manchester towns made it into the region’s top five, Stockport at number two and Altrincham following right behind at number three.

Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.

Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.

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“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”

Featured Image – Matt Baker (via Unsplash)

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