Row over funding for an historic Wigan library becomes a core issue in the Makerfield by-election
A row has broken out between Labour and Reform UK over an announcement that £1m had been secured for improvements to reopen Ashton Library.
Labour’s Makerfield by-election candidate Andy Burnham and Coun Chris Ready, Wigan Council’s portfolio holder for communities and neighbourhoods, visited Ashton Library earlier this month to announce a cash injection.
They have been campaigning for some time to reopen the centre, along with former Makerfield MP Josh Simons and ward councillors.
The £1m from the local authority will pay for repair work at the historic building on Wigan Road, which has been closed since July 2024.
But Reform UK claims the money was actually allocated to the library in a review of its capital programme during a cabinet meeting held in February 2025.
And party chairman Lee Anderson has now written to the Electoral Commission to raise concerns that purdah rules were broken when the announcement was made.
These rules govern how public money and resources are used in the run-up to an election.
Labour Party representatives deny that purdah rules were breached, with Coun Ready saying it was “categorically wrong” to suggest they were.
In his letter, Mr Anderson said he believed Mr Burnham was “attempting to leverage his position as mayor of Greater Manchester to garner political support in the upcoming Makerfield by-election by presenting the ‘£1m funding boost’ as if it was within his gift”, when it was instead “funded via borrowing from the Debt Management Office”.
He also claimed Coun Ready had “potentially” breached purdah by appearing in a Wigan Today news article and video with Mr Burnham, saying: “Especially so given that the publicity piece was effectively presented as a funnelling of public money with help from one particular candidate to an institution within the constituency in question.”
Mr Anderson said he had concerns that council resources may have been used “to associate a politically significant local funding announcement with a senior Labour figure and a local Labour councillor”.
Wigan Today was invited to the photo opportunity by the Labour campaign team and it took place outside the library on public land, with no council documents presented as part of the event.
Mr Anderson asked the Electoral Commission to investigate “urgently” whether any staff from the council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority or the mayor’s office were used to facilitate the announcement.
He told Wigan Today: “Labour and Wigan Council must come clean over Andy Burnham’s Ashton Library publicity stunt. Not only does this £1m appear to have been secured over 15 months ago, there is also compelling evidence that this announcement breached purdah rules.
“All Burnham can offer Makerfield is spin and cheap publicity stunts. Local people deserve better than yet another headline-chasing career Labour politician.”
Wigan Today was told by the council that it is aware a complaint has been made, but it has not been contacted by the Electoral Commission.
Coun Ready: “The work to protect our library has never been a short-term campaign. It’s been years of work by local representatives, not months, and certainly not by Reform. Our announcement reflects that hard work. It’s categorically wrong to suggest in response that any purdah rules were broken, and Reform know it.”
Mr Simons, whose resignation as Labour MP for Makerfield triggered the by-election, said: “These are just desperate tactics from Reform. The truth is, they’ve never lifted a finger to help restore this library and they have nothing to take credit for. Reform can’t handle the fact that we have delivered for the community, so rather than step up themselves, they want to shut us up. It’s shameful and voters will see through it.
"The announcement made was to set the record straight and give a long overdue update to the community about this library. It was not a breach of purdah. If Reform have anything they’d like to announce that they’ve done for the community, they are welcome to do so. Let’s see.”
Voters in Makerfield will go to the polls on Thursday to choose their next MP.
The by-election candidates are: Jake Austin (Liberal Democrats), Count Binface (Count Binface Party), Andy Burnham (Labour and Co-operative Party), Dan Clarke (Libertarian Party), John Dyer (independent), Ed Gemmell (Climate Party), Paul Gould (independent), Howling Laud Hope (Official Monster Raving Loony Party), Rob Kenyon (Reform UK), Robert Pownall (independent), Rebecca Shepherd (Restore Britain), Sarah Wakefield (Green Party), Peter Ward (Rejoin EU Bring in PR) and Michael Winstanley (Conservative).