We speak to Hindley Green residents about the “Burnham Bounce” following Labour’s by-election win

We have returned to Hindley Green following Labour’s by-election win in the ward which gave them a first council seat win this calendar year.

In May’s local elections Reform UK stormed to a massive win and gained 24 of the 25 seats up for grabs on Wigan Council.

Labour were hammered in the borough at the ballot box and failed to win a single seat.

The Reds’ John Vickers was victorious at this week’s by-election, pushing Reform’s candidate Bonnie Clarke into second.

It was quite some turnaround in a six month period as in May Vickers was defeated for the seat with 1,172 ballots, in a race which saw Reform candidate Liam Clarke attract 1,878 voters.

This week, Labour got 1,201 votes to Reform’s 887 with a much lower turnout of 26 per cent, down from 39 per cent six months ago.

Hindley Green is of course within the Makerfield constituency won by Andy Burnham in June.

On Friday, we asked voters out in the village whether they believed the ‘Burnham bounce’ factor was behind Labour’s upturn in fortunes in the ward?

Jackie Rowson, fresh from having her hair done on Atherton Road, is perhaps typical of why the election swing happened.

She said: “I voted Reform in May, at that time I wanted to give Labour a kick in the proverbial, I think a lot of folk did. I chose different this time and voted Labour.

“I think there is some renewed momentum with Labour since Andy Burnham got in.”

Over at Clayhole park, Neil Storey, 55, was out walking his dog Phoebe by the pond.

He expressed similar sentiments.

“There’s a lot of working class, salt of the earth people in this area and traditionally they were strong Labour,” he said.

“I reckon a lot were totally unhappy with the way things were going on many issues and we saw that at the local elections.

“It does make sense to me that there has been some kind of revival in support for Labour since things changed and Burnham became the MP here.”

Geraldine Lowe, 59, was joined by some hungry swans from the Claypole pond as she gave her response.

“It has really surprised me that Reform didn’t win here last night,” she said.

“It’s a shock because when I talk to a lot of my family members and friends they seem to have a lot of support.

“Burnham being elected hasn’t seemed to have swung them. On balance I’d say I support Reform but I think there has been some good ideas.

“I like No 10 North, get some decisions made up here instead of always in London.”

Speaking after the election, new Labour councillor Vickers said Mr Burnham’s rise to Prime Minister had a part to play in the win.

He said: “People were disillusioned in May and what happened on June 18 [Andy Burnham becoming an MP] certainly put a lot of faith back in people who had perhaps decided that the Labour Party was not going in the right direction.”

Wigan Reform leader Paul Watson said there had indeed been a “Burnham bounce” in the Hindley Green by election.

He said: “We came second tonight but this is a by election not a local election.

“Momentum maybe seems to be with Labour now, after the Burnham bounce, but come May it will be a totally different perspective.

“I’m still confident that in May 2027 Reform UK will take control of Wigan Council.

Out on a trip to the Tesco Express on Atherton Road, Maureen Scrivens said her allegiance had remained solid.

She said: “I voted Reform in May and did again yesterday.

“Burnham’s not for me, the only thing he’s ever got done of benefit is the £2 bus fare when he was mayor of Greater Manchester.”

Ryan Cardwell, 37, describes himself as a ‘reluctant’ Labour voter.

He said: “It’s not so much a case of the best of a bad bunch, more like the best of an absolutely pitiful bunch.”

Paul Richards, 65, is a strong Reform supporter.

He believes the ‘Burnham bounce’ was the defining factor of the Hindley Green result.

He said: “For me it was more than Burnham being Prime Minister, he gave personal support to John Vickers, he came here.

“He walked around this very pond with the candidate, directly campaigning. “There was a helicopter overhead for security.

“I think some people have behaved like sheep and followed Labour again just because he won the by-election but he’s not going to sway me.”