Andy Burnham has claimed that many of the struggles facing the North of England 'can be traced back to Margaret Thatcher.' The Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester faced criticism from broadcaster Andrew Neil, who retweeted Burnham's campaign video on X.
Neil commented: 'The backdrop to his wandering shows rows of neat, well-kept, substantial semi-detached homes, with plenty new cars in the driveways and a vibrant high street, despite all the road works improving it. And a state school so good he sent his kids to it... The pictures clash with his words of victimhood and deprivation.'
Burnham responded: 'You need to get out of London, Andrew. You've clearly got no idea how much people here are struggling. And, yes, a lot of it can be traced back to Margaret Thatcher.'
Makerfield By-Election
The Manchester Mayor is expected to run in the Makerfield by-election, confirmed for June 18. If victorious in the Wigan constituency, he is tipped to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour Party leadership.
The by-election is anticipated to be a contest between Labour and Reform UK, though the latter has yet to confirm its candidate. Meanwhile, Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain party has been the first to confirm its candidate: 53-year-old businesswoman Rebecca Shepherd.
The party, formed in February, won a clean slate of council seats in recent local elections and hopes to replicate that success in Makerfield. Lowe stated that Shepherd 'would fight for the interests of the community, rather than political careers.'
