Burnham says he wants to ensure Makerfield byelection ‘changes British politics’, in eve-of-poll speech – as it happened

In his speech Andy Burnham also said the Makerfield byelection would change British politics. He started by apologising to the voters for the inconvenience the byelection had caused, and all the leaflets and the knocks on the door they were getting. He went on: double quotation mark It’s been a long month, and we’ve lived through it together, haven’t we? But it’s all for a purpose. The inconvenience is for a real purpose. And that is to make sure that this byelection changes British politics. And I believe that is what it’s about to do. This byelection is going to put power where it should be in the hands of people here, in the hands of you, in the hands of 75,000 people across this constituency, a place that has been overlooked by Westminster in the past. It’s right that this place decides what happens, the change that comes to British politics, because change is coming. But the question tonight is what kind of change? And I want to finish this byelection campaign [being] really clear with everybody about what kind of change I’m talking about, what kind of change I’m offering. A vote for me is a vote to end 40 years of trickle-down economics that didn’t trickle down much at all to people here. It is a vote to bring down water bills, energy bills, to make life more affordable to people again, to give the British people a bit more money in their pockets, to give people a bit more breathing space in their daily lives. That is what a vote for me is all about. It’s a vote to power up the north of England – about time that that happens – as well as to re industrialise the north. And to give all young people growing up here good paths into secure jobs. That’s what this is all about.