Andy Burnham to try to run for Parliament after Labor MP says he’ll stand down for him

Here’s Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s announcement about his intention to run in Makerfield, in full:

I can verify that I shall be requesting the permission of the NEC to stand within the Makerfield by-election.

I grew up on this space and have lived right here for 25 years. I care deeply about him and his individuals. I do know they’ve been let down by nationwide politics. Ten years in the past, I made a decision to depart Westminster.

Why? Because, after 16 years, I got here to the conclusion that our nationwide political system doesn’t work for areas like ours. I discovered this combating its failure to spend money on the Wigan borough, for justice for the Hillsborough households and in opposition to its therapy of Greater Manchester throughout the pandemic.

Over the final decade, I’ve been difficult this failure from the surface and constructing a brand new and higher manner of doing politics. We have constructed Greater Manchester into the fastest-growing city-region within the UK and put buses again underneath public management, introducing a £2 fare cap to assist individuals with cost-of-living pressures.

However, there may be solely a lot that may be performed from Greater Manchester. Much larger change is required at a nationwide degree if on a regular basis life is to be made extra inexpensive once more.

This is why I now search individuals’s assist to return to Parliament: to carry the change we now have introduced to Greater Manchester to the entire of the UK and make politics work correctly for individuals. Millions are struggling they usually want the Labor Government to succeed.

It has already made modifications to make life higher for them in its first two years. After this week, we owe it to individuals to come again collectively as a Labor motion, giving the Prime Minister and the Government the area and stability they want because the by-election takes place.

I need to acknowledge the troublesome resolution made by Josh Simons and the sacrifice he and his household are making. I’ve labored intently with him as Mayor on points like flooding and unlawful waste dumping and have seen first-hand how efficient he has been.

He has put the communities of Makerfield first, made an actual distinction for them and they need to take nice pleasure in that. Finally, I actually don’t take a single vote for granted and can work laborious to regain the belief of individuals within the Makerfield constituency, lots of whom have lengthy supported our get together however misplaced religion in latest occasions.

We will change Labor for the higher and make it a celebration you possibly can consider in once more.