The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said there was an ‘appetite’ in the country to challenge and stop the march of Nigel Farage’s right-wing party Reform UK
Reform UK’s failure to win a key Welsh seat last week shows Nigel Farage’s party is “beatable”, Andy Burnham has insisted.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester said there was an “appetite” in the country to challenge and stop the march of the right-wing outfit. It comes after Labour’s crushing defeat in the Caerphilly Senned by-election last week – a seat it had held since it was first created back in 1999.
Reform, which threw resources at the seat and were the bookies’ favourite, were denied a crucial victory with Plaid Cymru winning 47% compared to 36% for Mr Farage’s party.
Speaking during an in conversation event with The Mirror’s Real Britain columnist Ros-Wynne Jones, Mr Burnham said: “Isn’t the positive though from the Caerphilly by-election that Reform are beatable. That there is an appetite out there to stand up to them and stop them and challenge them.”
READ MORE: Labour suffers historic defeat in Caerphilly by-election as top pollster gives verdict
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram added: “We can do an awful lot more. And we need to take them [Reform] on head-to-head. It’s not just for the Labour Party. We’re getting squeezed as well because the Greens are really picking up.
“We’re caught between things at the moment and we don’t know whether to go that way or to tact that way. And actually what we need to be is just Labour.”
Mr Burnham also told the event he was “glad” Lucy Powell, who was last month sacked from Keir Starmer’s Cabinet, won the deputy leadership contest. He added: “The reason I’m glad is because I do not think you can fight Reform on the populist right with quite a narrow and shallow approach to running the party where it’s quite factional at times.
“You’ve got to have everybody involved, everybody pulling together, every shoulder to that wheel of taking on this generational fight that’s right in front of us.”
Rhun ap Iorwerth, leader of Plaid Cymru, said the result last week showed that Plaid was the “real choice” for Wales.
He said the people of Caerphilly had chosen “hope over division and progress over the tired status quo” as they backed Plaid Cymru’s “positive, pro-Wales vision”. This result shows that Plaid is no longer just an alternative.
“We are now the real choice for Wales, the only party able to stop billionaire-backed Reform and offering a better future that works for everyone. The message from Caerphilly is clear: Wales is ready for new leadership, and Plaid Cymru is leading the way.”