“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,” Burnham said onstage after the result was announced.
Burnham characterized the vote as a vote for change. “This result will bring about a country that works fairly for everywhere and for everybody,” he said.
British by-elections are often sleepy affairs with results that are foregone conclusions, but the battle in Makerfield has been closely watched because of its national significance and the unusual circumstances by which it came about. The area’s Labour MP, Josh Simons, resigned with the deliberate intention of allowing Burnham to win the seat, enter Parliament and seek the leadership.
The area, a working-class and largely white part of Greater Manchester, is a top target for Farage’s party, but Burnham sought to turn back the tide, relying on his unique appeal as the region’s popular mayor.
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