The mood among Makerfield by-election voters is one of deep anger and disillusionment, and as a focus group in this former mining area of northwest England revealed, many residents are so frustrated with British politics that some would rather upend the entire system than rally behind Labour’s star candidate.

A Consequential Vote

The June 18 contest in Makerfield could help determine who becomes Britain’s next prime minister. Andy Burnham, the Labour candidate and hot favorite, is hoping to return to Parliament and eventually succeed party leader Keir Starmer. But whether he can overcome the area’s bitterness remains an open question.

A 90-minute focus group conducted by Public First for POLITICO, held in the Golden Lion pub, captured the prevailing sentiment. While some participants believed Burnham might make a difference, the overall tone was one of cynicism. Life in 2026, they said, is unfair, painfully expensive, and only getting worse.

The nine voters came from varied political backgrounds, mixing longtime Labour supporters with backers of right-wing parties and undecideds. Yet they shared strikingly similar worries about the cost of living, immigration, public safety, and a society they see as increasingly unequal.

Labour Has Lost Their Trust

There was little affection for Starmer in the room. Some participants felt there was no meaningful difference between his two-year-old government and the Conservatives who governed for the previous 14 years. Not one of the nine said they thought he had done a good job as prime minister.

That disillusionment has damaged Labour’s brand. Tom, a father planning to vote Reform, questioned whether the party still stood for working-class people, pointing to the punishing cost of daily essentials with no relief in sight.

The Crushing Cost of Living

Participants reeled off the rising prices they have watched climb, from fast-food meals to rent to a family trip to the cinema. Family holidays that were once affordable, even for full-time workers, now feel like a distant dream.

Jenny, who is retired, described the cost of living as terrible. Paul, a father who juggles three jobs and sometimes works from 7:30 a.m. until 4 a.m. the next day, said he felt let down, arguing that no one should work 60 hours a week and still be unable to enjoy a decent life.

Gloom About Politics

Few in the group could name a political leader from the past decade who had improved their lives. Peter, who usually votes Conservative, credited David Cameron for calling the Brexit referendum, while a couple of participants reached back nearly two decades to praise Tony Blair as the last prime minister who delivered for them.

Beyond that, confidence was scarce. Paul dismissed politicians as crooks, while Bob, who is in his 90s, said he had yet to meet a good one.

Anger Over Immigration

Immigration emerged as a major concern, and one that plays directly into the surge of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. The acronym participants kept returning to was “HMOs,” or Houses in Multiple Occupation, which they associated with migrants.

Their fear was that landlords and developers are converting homes meant for local families into shared housing for newly arrived immigrants, driving up rents and changing the character of a community they described as overwhelmingly White British. Several also believed that illegal migrants were straining the local health service, making it harder for taxpaying residents to access care.

Farage Wins Converts

That anger is pushing some voters toward Reform UK. Tom, a married father of two who works full-time, said he would abandon Labour for the first time to back Reform, citing its hard push on immigration. He framed the choice less as enthusiasm for Reform and more as a reaction to how bad the country had become under Labour, insisting there needs to be change.

Dan, another local father struggling to stretch his earnings, echoed that view, saying the country needed a shakeup even if only for a single term.

Rising Fears About Crime

Crime and disorder also weighed heavily on participants. A knife attack in Belfast that week, which had sparked protests and violent unrest, was fresh in many minds. Closer to home, they voiced fears about local crime, including what they called “feral kids” harassing people in the streets.

Several complained that there were fewer police on the streets and that officers seemed indifferent to incidents in Ashton-in-Makerfield, the constituency’s largest town.

A Sense of “Two-Tier” Unfairness

The idea that Britain operates as a “two-tier” society, where ordinary people lose out, clearly resonated, even among some Labour voters. Peter, a local butcher switching from the Conservatives to back Burnham, said the country needed a fairer system for everyone.

Many felt the unfairness extended beyond policing to a broader neglect of towns like Ashton, while places like London and even Manchester soaked up money and attention. Peter argued that politics had become too “Londonised” and that the north needed someone of its own.

Local Worries About Development

Concerns about the area’s changing character also surfaced. Participants worried that plans to build hundreds of new homes and five large warehouses would flood the already congested roads with traffic. Several said they cherished the green landscape around Ashton and did not want fields paved over, fearing their community would become just another sprawling suburb like Liverpool or Manchester.

“Andy Cares”

Despite the prevailing gloom, Burnham stood out as a rare bright spot. Even voters unlikely to support him praised his record as Mayor of Greater Manchester, citing improvements to transport and the hiring of more police. Two participants said they had personally taken problems to Burnham in the past and that he had resolved them.

Above all, there was a sense that Burnham, who grew up nearby and once represented the area in Parliament, truly understands their lives. Bob, Peter, Emma, and Mandy all said they planned to vote for him. Mandy, who works part-time as a cleaner and merchandiser, described him as down-to-earth, genuine, and someone who seemed to care about people.

Several added that having a northern prime minister would benefit their region. As Peter put it, the area needed better leadership, and he believed Burnham was someone who genuinely cared.

What It All Means

The Makerfield focus group paints a picture of a community exhausted by economic hardship and deeply skeptical of Westminster. The central question now is whether Burnham’s local roots and reputation for caring can overcome that disillusionment, or whether Reform UK will harness the anger over immigration and inequality to seize a seat Labour has held for decades. When voters head to the polls on June 18, their verdict may reverberate far beyond this corner of northwest England.