‘Make no mistake – Reform could beat us in Greater Manchester, so we need your help again’

I know you’re exhausted. Runcorn, Gorton & Denton, a full set of May elections, and the most consequential by-election in an age – we all feel it. We also want to celebrate, and rightfully so – Makerfield has well and truly reinvigorated our movement, especially with younger members. Here in Young Labour, we managed to mobilise on three separate campaign days, helping young members reach the constituency in record numbers by activating a travel fund thanks to Emily and Elsie, our Chair and NEC Rep.

But this victory needs to mark the beginning of re-energising our movement, putting Reform back in a box, and proving we can beat them not just in Makerfield, but across a wide variety of places where they’re currently enjoying support. To do that, we must win the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election.

I know you’ve heard it said before, but just like Makerfield, it is well and truly between Reform and us. This May, we had the highest progressive vote share in 7/10 boroughs of Greater Manchester, and nobody else can tackle the threat from the right across the whole city-region. That threat is real. The local elections were cataclysmic for Labour across the region, and Reform has shown us exactly how hard they can hit in working-class heartlands like Tameside and Bolton.

READ MORE: Who is Bev Craig, Labour’s candidate for Greater Manchester Mayor?

Despite that threat, we’ve shown the power of a progressive movement coming together as one family to tackle the far right. Makerfield has been beyond inspiring, and was a real wake-up call to what we can do when we come together. We smashed every target possible for contacts and mobilisation, uniting across generations and political differences to give Reform a real black eye at the ballot box.

It won’t be enough. The Greater Manchester Mayor isn’t just one of the most powerful directly elected positions in the country. It’s one of the single-biggest successes of Labour in local government, representing over 30 years of consensus-building and cross-borough working. Greater Manchester is the fastest-growing region outside London, and Labour has delivered success after success through the mayoralty. 

Whether it’s our famous Bee Network with a £2 fare cap, Manchester’s record delivery this year in social housing delivery, our innovative approach to education through the Manchester Baccalaureate, or both the fastest-improving police and fire & rescue services in the country, what Andy has achieved here in his time as Mayor is undeniable.

There is nobody better placed to take up the role than Bev Craig, and we know she’s the only person in this race who can hit the ground running and ensure our region’s success story continues. As the Leader of Manchester, she’s taken our second city (sorry Birmingham!) through an unprecedented period of growth and prosperity, leading within the Combined Authority on the Economy, Business, and Inclusive Growth across all ten boroughs. 

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Bev is also a true social mobility success story, born and raised on a council estate just outside Belfast and the first in her family to go to university. She chose Manchester, like so many others who now choose to make it their home. There’s nobody in a better position to fight Reform, and that’s why our entire movement must once again rally behind our candidate to keep Reform out of power.

Greater Manchester has always been a bastion of the working classes. The factories of Oldham and Tameside heralded the birth of the Industrial Revolution. Our cooperative movement was born in Rochdale. It was in Salford where workers successfully won the right to a weekend, and in Manchester that the Trades Union Congress was founded, and where the suffragettes fought for the right to vote. It would be nothing short of neglect to allow Reform, exploiting the frustrations of real struggle and deprivation, to convince voters they can represent their interests.

I grew up, went to school, and was assisted by a bursary through college in Tameside, where I remain a governor. I moved to Manchester for university on a scholarship whilst working at Greggs and now live in Salford working as a graduate in regeneration. I’ve spent years campaigning across this city-region, and I know the threats we face and the offer we need to make to win people’s votes. 

Bev has that offer. Regenerated and renewed town centres through the Good Growth Fund and a new High Streets Fund, the next generation of council and affordable homes, and an expanded Bee Network that freezes fares and works for everyone. Under Bev, we can continue Andy’s long-term work to build a thriving city region where everyone can live a good life, whilst going full-thrust with the powers of devolution like never before.

None of this will happen if we let Reform take the mayoralty. They don’t share our values; they don’t share the core ideals that drive each one of us to wake up every morning and contribute to our communities, and giving them an office this powerful and symbolic could set us back significantly.

That’s why we need you. We need you to continue the amazing energy you brought to Makerfield. We need you to have those doorstep conversations, phone calls, and leaflet rounds so we can keep the populist right out of Greater Manchester and prove that they can be beaten anywhere. We can defeat Reform, but only if our entire family comes together once again, united against the threats we face.

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