Andy Burnham Says National Politics Has Reached a Dangerous Place

Labour's Andy Burnham said national politics has reached a dangerous place where people in this country cannot afford a good life. The Greater Manchester mayor, who is his party's candidate for the Makerfield by-election next month, told BBC Radio Manchester Britain had been on the wrong path for 40 years.

Burnham was speaking in the first of a series of interviews with candidates from the major parties standing in the poll, which will take place on 18 June. Asked why he was potentially stepping away from his mayor role, he said he believed politics in this country is at a moment where we either change it or it really becomes quite, quite broken and people lose faith completely.

The 56-year-old, who held senior cabinet positions in the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown governments, left Westminster politics in 2017. However, he announced his candidacy after sitting MP for Makerfield, Josh Simons, resigned his seat. Burnham is widely expected to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership if he is successful in the by-election.

He said he was proud of his record in Greater Manchester, but added that there was only so much he can do from this role.

Burnham said he had no intention of re-running the arguments surrounding Brexit. Ten years on, I'm going to be really blunt; I don't think Brexit has improved things, he said. The economy is smaller and we have weaker control of immigration. That is my view.

He said instead, he wanted to see a relentless focus on domestic issues over the next five or 10 years. Let's get this country functioning again, let's get the basics right for people, he continued. Burnham also addressed the HS2 rail project. The frustration I feel about that is massive, he said.

This is a classic example of Whitehall trying to run things from 200 miles away. He said there was a need to focus on what gives the maximum boost to the economy and described a different way of doing things that is more local.

He also faced questions about anti-social behaviour in certain areas, including Ashton-in-Makerfield. He said he did not want to explain away the problem as it was something that did arise periodically and he had spoken with police about the issue. He added that Ashton needs a youth zone, like we have in other parts of Greater Manchester and that will be something I would campaign for straight away if elected.

However, Burnham would not confirm whether he would step down as mayor if he failed to win in Makerfield. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority said current rules mean a mayor cannot also serve as a sitting MP, but there is no ban on staying in the role during a campaign.