Andy Burnham

He produced a resounding rallying call of, 'What we’ve got to do is get back to a sense of order'. I truly wonder what that 'sense of order' means.

It shows the power of grassroots campaigns, and why I’m committed to giving power back to local communities.

I’ll keep fighting to get a fair deal for small businesses and standing up for our high streets.

If I’m fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to represent our community in next week’s election, I’ll make sure they hear us loud and clear.

Most residents in Makerfield have come to the conclusion that Westminster doesn’t work for towns like ours.

I think Labour has been too factional in recent years. I go back to the time I was in the last Labour government where you do have to call on all parts of the family to support the Labour Party in government.

We either carry on in the path towards bringing people together and unifying people, or we go down a path towards what becomes quite a polarised political debate.

I think the country is on a path that is quite a worrying one. My concern would be that we end up with the polarised politics of the United States.

Westminster has refused to listen to towns like ours for decades. Successive governments turn a deaf ear to the things that matter most to us - decent jobs, affordable homes, safe streets and opportunities for our young people.

Almost a decade ago, I left Parliament to stand to be Mayor of Greater Manchester because I saw decisions being taken by a handful of people in London who couldn’t point to Makerfield on a map, let alone ever set foot here.

The country is on quite a worrying path. Things are getting harder, and politics is getting more polarised, and the path we’re on, if we are not careful, is towards the politics of the United States, a polarised, poisonous politics where…

I am not at all squeamish about admitting that the plan would be to reduce the welfare bill.

Things are getting harder, and politics is getting more polarised, and the path we’re on, if we are not careful, is a path towards the politics of the United States of America, a polarised, poisonous politics where people in communities…

It doesn’t feel that we’re heading in the right direction. It doesn’t feel like we’re heading to better lives for people.

Does anyone here feel that we can just stay on the path that we’re on as a country? It doesn’t feel doable, does it?

Andy Burnham spoke on BBC Radio Manchester, saying there was the impression “the country isn’t functioning properly” and pledged “to expand the use of detention centres, end asylum hotels and reform how migrants are housed across the…

People here will write the script for change.

It is something that just has to be gripped and gripped properly, because it is about trust in politics.

I will take the fight for the changes I want to see in politics as far as I can take it.

This is a change byelection.

I am making no assumptions beyond the 18th of June.

What we’ve built in Greater Manchester needs to go national.

So I stick by the campaigns that I support. I stuck by the Hillsborough families. I’ll stick by the Waspi women because they deserve some recompense for the unfairness.

I have long supported the campaign. And I feel uncomfortable when politicians were all holding up that sort of banner and then it got into government and didn’t do anything.

I want to assure people I've heard it, I will act on it.