After thanking his opponents for the \u201ccivil debate,\u201d Burnham began with a charge that politics is not working. \u201cEveryone can feel the country isn\u2019t where it should be,\u201d he said, adding, \u201cTonight could \u2013 just could \u2013 be the turning point.\u201d<\/p>\n
A recurring theme was hope for the future. Campaign material urged voters to \u201cVote Andy. Vote Hope\u201d<\/a>. The emphasis on hope could be read as a rebuke to both Starmer and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Starmer for his unfulfilled promises in government, and Farage for his divisive rhetoric in opposition.<\/p>\n Another key message was change. On the eve of the election, Burnham emphasised \u201ca chance to vote for change. For change in politics. For change in our economy.\u201d<\/p>\n Burnham told the packed conference centre in Wigan that \u201cthis borough \u2026 made a loud cry for change\u201d in the May elections, when Reform UK took all eight council wards in the Makerfield constituency. He told the audience that the message on doorsteps was that \u201cthere will be no second chance\u201d for Labour to bring such change.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Burnham\u2019s campaign material called for voters to \u201cchange Labour\u201d, using imagery that evoked the northern soul movement. The same material urged people to stay hopeful, and to \u201ckeep the faith\u201d. Meanwhile, Burnham\u2019s victory speech promised fresh hope for his new constituency.<\/p>\n A short congratulatory message on X<\/a> from Starmer welcomed \u201cLabour\u2019s new MP for Makerfield\u201d, stating that: \u201cVoters chose Labour\u2019s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate.\u201d<\/p>\n But in the speech itself, Burnham did not mention Labour by name. This detail was picked up on by Reform\u2019s deputy leader Richard Tice, who argued that the byelection result was a vote to get Starmer out of Number 10. <\/p>\n Burnham instead spoke of hope as his value, not Labour\u2019s. He referred to \u201cmy own party\u201d being in need of change, and to \u201cWestminster\u201d having neglected the north and a broader swath of English cities.<\/p>\n Burnham has been described as using a local lens<\/a> to inform a national vision, arguably through a nostalgic view of the north of England. The victory speech played to that approach. The outgoing mayor of Greater Manchester argued that politics \u201cat the national level\u201d had to change \u201cin order that all English cities be what they can be\u201d. <\/p>\n He praised Makerfield for having \u201cshone in the world\u2019s spotlight\u201d during the campaign. Makerfield, Burnham argued, would become synonymous with bringing about much-needed change throughout the UK. <\/p>\n Crucially, he also spoke of a \u201cMakerfield test\u201d at the heart of British politics, which would \u201censure the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness\u201d. It remains to be seen exactly what this test will look like but it may reflect the \u201cManchesterism\u201d<\/a> \u2013 the idea that the rest of the UK can learn from the city\u2019s rapid economic rise \u2013 with which Burnham aimed to inspire change. <\/p>\n He spoke warmly of his nine years as mayor, praising the area for all it had given to him. He added that he would always take a \u201cplace-first, rather than a party-first\u201d approach, prioritising \u201cthe north, and everywhere forgotten by Westminster\u201d. <\/p>\n But what of Burnham\u2019s approach to the Labour party? His victory speech made frequent reference to paths: \u201cturning away from the path\u201d to the \u201cdivided, dark politics\u201d of today\u2019s US, and putting the country \u201cback on the right path\u201d. A word like \u201cpath\u201d implies a narrative and a clear direction, but also a future destination that may lie elsewhere.<\/p>\n Addressing the near-universal assumption that the byelection win will be a step towards a leadership challenge, Burnham said that Makerfield \u201cwill never be a stepping stone to me, but instead will be my touchstone\u201d.<\/p>\nThe importance of place<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/285731\/count.gif\")
<\/p>\n