A Day on the Doorstep in Makerfield

12 June 2026 | Rob Fellows

Let me be honest about why I went up to Makerfield yesterday.

It wasn’t because I think Andy Burnham is the answer to Labour’s problems. I’ve known Andy for years and like him personally. He’s done a good job in Manchester and the Bee Network is a genuine achievement. But running a city-region is not the same as leading a country, and this week’s WASPI U-turn did little to dispel his reputation for shifting position when the pressure comes on. Then again, consistency isn’t exactly Westminster’s strongest suit these days.

No, I went because Reform came second here in 2024 and have been gaining ground ever since.

That should worry anyone who cares about where the country is heading.

Makerfield voted heavily for Brexit. Ten years on, this is a community that has paid a real price for that decision. Yet many people are now being asked to place their faith in the very political movement that sold Brexit in the first place. It’s the political equivalent of returning to the salesman who sold you a faulty car, because he promises that the next one will be different.

And look at who Reform are asking voters to send to Parliament.

Their candidate has openly described himself as sexist. Not according to his opponents. According to him. Alongside that came comments about women that would embarrass most people into silence. Reform’s defence? “Locker room banter.”

Think about that for a moment.

A man seeking to represent tens of thousands of people dismisses his own remarks as banter. When challenged on policy, the response appears to be that someone else in the party should answer. If he can’t explain or defend Reform’s programme, what exactly is he asking voters to elect him for?

But if Reform are thriving, the rest of us need to ask ourselves why.

People are not turning to Farage because they’re stupid. They’re turning to him because they are angry. Angry about the cost of living. Angry about public services. Angry that their children increasingly can’t afford to live where they grew up. Angry that politicians seem more interested in Westminster games than everyday life.

Ignore that anger and the populists win.

On the doorstep, nobody wanted to discuss leadership plots or political gossip. They wanted to talk about GP appointments, rising bills, housing, jobs and whether their town is moving forwards or backwards.

Politics is always simpler on the doorstep than it is on television.

And the wider backdrop should concern us all. While communities wrestle with real problems, professional grievance merchants continue to profit from division, exploiting tragedy, stoking resentment and turning public anger into a business model.

That’s why I spent the day knocking on doors in relentless rain.

My shoes were soaked. My leaflet hand stopped functioning as a normal human limb sometime around lunchtime. Not every conversation was friendly. Not every voter agreed with me.

But when people who helped create the mess are offering themselves as the solution, the least the rest of us can do is show up and make the case for something better.

Even if we’re drenched doing it.