‘Making policy for people – Burnham v Farage’

Governments succeed when policy starts with real lives rather than abstract ideology. Too often Westminster only notices social harm once communities have been living with it for years.

Under Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester has shown a different approach, one where local leadership listens early, works with affected communities and treats social harms seriously. 

One issue that is often overlooked nationally is gambling harm. Over one million people per year across the UK are suffering serious gambling harm, with many millions more being impacted indirectly.

While those in authority often go through the motions of concern, Andy Burnham has been one of the few political leaders who has taken the time to really listen and engage with people harmed by gambling.

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His leadership of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has delivered several impactful campaigns and has worked with the Manchester lived experience group GaMHive to promote the reduction of gambling harm, making great strides locally.

Burnham also found time to speak at a session of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling Reform looking at the harms caused by high street gambling venues – Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs). He had become aware of horror stories from residents about these, often 24hr, slot machine venues.

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Reform UK is currently placing itself to be a recipient of donations from gambling companies. Farage has spoken out against the increase in tax on gambling company online profits, probably the most popular tax increases ever by Rachael Reeves. He also conflated this new tax with a risk to low stakes machines on Clacton Pier, as part of his denial of gambling harms. 

The fight to constrain high street machines has a long history. At my first parliamentary event for the “Stop the FOBTs” (Fixed Odds Betting Terminals) campaign in 2013, only a handful of MPs attended. The campaign eventually succeeded in reducing the maximum stake in 2019. 

Yvonne Fovargue, the MP for Makerfield from 2010 to 2024, was one of those few in attendance. Fovargue knew her constituency and the damage that modern electronic gambling was causing.

Burnham understands, just as Fovargue did, that economic policy cannot be separated from community wellbeing. Labour’s credibility will depend not only on delivering growth, but on being prepared to step-in when vested business interests overstep the mark and damage people’s lives. 

Greater Manchester’s approach offers an important example of what that can look like. Mr Burnham will be another excellent MP for Makerfield.

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