Andy Richardson

Postie. Wigan Ath. Up the tics

[Andy Richardson @chud99]

Hallowed turf of the Wigan warriors 🤫🔔🔚#wafc

[Kay Burley @KayBurley]

This is an article I first wrote for the Independent newspaper last Friday morning…

I’ve known Andy Burnham for a long time.
Exactly two years ago, I found myself and a film crew standing with him on the hallowed turf at the home of Wigan Warriors, talking not just about politics but about family, football, ambition and what drives somebody to keep going in a profession that can be as brutal as politics often is.

During the course of that conversation I managed to persuade him to commit to the all-night General Election special I was hosting on Sky News, which took rather more arm-twisting than I had originally anticipated. As two people from the area discussing the prospect of an all-nighter, I suspect I probably made some joke or other about Wigan Casino and suggested the television version would be considerably less fun, but there would be Percy Pigs when we needed a sugar rush in the middle of the night. It swung the deal.

Somewhere during that on-pitch conversation at the Warrior’s stadium I asked him a question that felt perfectly reasonable at the time but carries rather more weight this morning. Did he think he would ever get another shot at the biggest job in British politics?
If I’m honest, it was probably a throwaway line. At that point Burnham had already had two attempts at the Labour leadership and instead was building his reputation as Mayor of Greater Manchester. However, let’s fast forward to 2026 - persuading the young buck Josh Simons MP to fall on his sword and make way for the King of the North was not on my political bingo card.

Whatever else this by-election may come to represent, it has placed Andy Burnham back into a political conversation from which many people assumed he had permanently departed.

My experience of Andy is that his political career has often been about momentum - an entry level ‘bag carrier’ for people like Lord Blunkett and the sadly departed Dame Tessa Jowell - before making his way up the government ranks. He listens to the mood music and when battered by the Anfield crowd who were furious Blair was seemingly doing little to support the Hillsborough families, rather than licking his wounds he shaped policy to fix that.

The good people of Makerfield - a constituency not a place - have rewarded him with one more chance to prove he has what it takes to be the main man, but as he boards the Avanti West Coast line to London, he’d better be sure not to turn his face away from his people.

Burnham undoubtedly leaves strengthened, but this was not a victory secured simply through reputation. If anything, the campaign showed a politician who had to work much harder than many expected. The big regional figure who arrived with assumed authority encountered voters who were not prepared to hand over their support automatically. He had to listen, engage and, at times, toughen up.

What struck me throughout the campaign was the gap between the story being told in Westminster and the one being lived in Makerfield. National and international commentators descended wanting to discuss political earthquakes, insurgencies and leadership crises. Local people wanted to know whether they could get a GP appointment and whether the buses would turn up on time. I know because my sister, Jacqueline, lives in the area.

One resident put it to me rather neatly.
“Everybody keeps telling us we’re important,” she said. “I just wish they’d remember that after Friday.”

That, in many ways, is the story of Makerfield - whether all the attention focused on the constituency translates into something tangible now the big top is being dismantled at the Edge Conference Centre in Wigan and the circus prepares to leave town.

The Reform candidate is a local man, he’s going nowhere and may take what time there is between now and the next election to build on his momentum.

[Andy Richardson @chud99]

#wafc

[Andy Burnham @andyburnham]

It’s heating up on the pitch so who better to send out there than one of England’s greats! 🙌🏻

[Andy Richardson @chud99]

@timmycooke @RoyalMail Good luck Pal I’m very jealous and all the best Timbo 😎✌️

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

Don’t miss out….

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

Link will be live at 10am (UK time) tomorrow https://t.co/hNBz3RtERt

The first 100 bags will be signed by meeee 🤘

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

The bags are 100% vegetarian & vegan friendly top quality vinyl / pleather - obvs don’t eat them though 🥴

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

You’ve seen this, right?? 😉

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

The countdown is on…

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

You know you want one…

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

A treat for your feet…

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

👀

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

Retweet for a chance to win!

We are giving away 4 Sproston Bags - signed by me 🤘

They will be available to order from our online store from 10am Friday May 29th to 11pm Monday June 1st (winners announced 9am Friday) - each bag comes with a pair of Sproston socks too

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

In case you missed it 🙌

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

👀

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

Retweet for a chance to win!

We are giving away 4 pairs of Sproston socks (one pair each to 4 winners)

They will be available to order from our online store from 10am Friday May 29th to 11pm Monday June 1st (winners announced 9am Friday)

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

Retweet for a chance to win!

We are giving away 4 Charlatans bucket hats

They will be available to order from our online store from 10am Friday May 29th to 11pm Monday June 1st (winners announced 9am Friday)

[Tim Burgess @Tim_Burgess]

Retweet for a chance to win

A We Are Live Tour T shirt, a sweatshirt, a bucket hat (all in your size) and a mug

Winner picked at random 10am on Thursday April 23rd

[Andy Richardson @chud99]

@the_pieface

[Andy Richardson @chud99]

@the_pieface Have a good trip up Pie laaaa
Hope we batter you 4 or 5 nowt
But good luck for rest of season
Up thr tics !!!

[Dagenham & Redbridge @Dag_RedFC]

Welcome to the Daggers, Nortei Nortey! 💪

We are delighted to announce the signing of the midfielder on a permanent deal until the end of the season.