Nigel Farage Launches Attacks on Andy Burnham in Makerfield Campaign
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, is preparing to accuse Andy Burnham of failing to protect victims of grooming gangs as part of his party’s campaign in the Makerfield constituency. This comes as part of a broader strategy to challenge what Farage sees as the Labour Party’s inability to address key issues that matter to voters.
Farage has positioned himself as a strong opponent of Burnham, who he refers to as the “King in the North.” He argues that Burnham’s ambitions to move south and seize power in Downing Street are not only misguided but also dangerous for the country. As part of this campaign, Farage is set to criticize Burnham for his past support for Britain rejoining the European Union, which he views as a betrayal of the Brexit vote.
In a recent statement to The Telegraph, Farage said: “Burnham failed the grooming gang victims and he will fail the people of Makerfield too. He would be a disaster for the economy and betray every Brexit voter in the constituency. Open Borders Burnham must be stopped.”
Whistleblower Accuses Burnham of Ignoring Ongoing Failures
Despite launching reviews that exposed serious failings in the handling of historical child sexual abuse allegations, a whistleblower from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has accused Burnham of falling at “the final hurdle.”
Maggie Oliver, a former detective constable, claimed that while there was acknowledgment of past failures, there was a lack of transparency when it came to ongoing issues. She stated: “What I saw in Mr Burnham and GMP was a willingness to say there had been huge failures in the past — but when looking at action around failures still going on today, there truly was no duty of candour on display. Instead, they turned away. Again. Once again, the voices of those victims and survivors whose voices should have been front and centre of this report were totally silenced and blocked out of the assurance review, making it worthless. The establishment again marking its own homework.”
Burnham established reviews into allegations of child sexual exploitation in Manchester and Rochdale after becoming the area’s metro mayor in 2017. These reviews uncovered institutional failings, including evidence of authorities turning a blind eye to horrific abuse carried out by predominantly Pakistani men against white girls.
However, Oliver argued that the final assurance review — which concluded there had been “significant improvements” in tackling child sex abuse — did not “give survivors their voice.” Despite this, over 100 people were eventually arrested following the investigation, and multiple convictions were secured.
Burnham later broke ranks with Labour to support a “limited” national inquiry into the gangs, months before the Prime Minister confirmed a full probe would follow.
The statutory independent inquiry was announced in June by the Prime Minister, a few months after he accused those who called for one of jumping on a “far-right bandwagon.” The full investigation into group-based sexual exploitation of children in England and Wales has now formally started.
Candidate Selection and Political Tensions
Maggie Oliver has recently confirmed she will not stand as Reform UK’s candidate in Makerfield despite fervent speculation. The party’s candidate selection process is still underway, with names like Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield councillor Robert Kenyon and home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf among the leading contenders.
Burnham has expressed his desire to stand in the by-election, currently set for mid-June, to “save” Labour. He criticized Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership, stating that the party must acknowledge it has “not been good enough” and “requires a lot of change.” “We’ve got to see this as a moment to reclaim the Labour Party, to save it from where it’s been,” he said.
Rupert Lowe, leader of Restore Britain, has confirmed that his party will field a candidate in the by-election after “overwhelming demand” from local members. While Reform backers have warned that his party could split the vote and hand Burnham a route to power, Lowe has pledged to secure “thousands and thousands of votes” in the seat.
Meanwhile, the Green Party — victorious in February’s Gorton and Denton by-election — said its candidate selection was also underway.
Regarding the criticism from Oliver, a spokesman for the Greater Manchester combined authority stated that Burnham’s stage four review had found “clear evidence that Greater Manchester has responded to those historic failings and made real changes,” adding: “We are not complacent and we continue to drive improvements across our system. Nothing can make up for what happened to the victims of these crimes, but we are determined that they will be listened to and protected, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.”
GB News has approached Burnham for comment regarding Farage’s remarks.
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