The New Statesman.

The specter of the Makerfield by-election on June the 18th is hanging over British politics.

If Andy Burnham wins, he's in prime position to challenge Keir Stama's leadership.

However, a Burnham victory in Makerfield is not at all certain.

Reform and their candidate, Robert Robert Kenyon are mounting a serious

challenge. I'm Tom McHagg and this is the politics show from the new statesman. This week,

polling expert Scarlett Maguire has been getting the opinions of the people that matter,

Makerfield voters. Scarlett's exclusive reporting in this week's issue of the new statesman out today

and she joins us now.

But first, our political editor Alva Ray has been up in Makerfield on the campaign trail with

Andy Burnham, so let's start with Alva, who has the cover story.

Alva, tell us what you discovered up there.

Ooh, well, we were just saying before we started recording that I didn't see what

Scarlett had uncovered in her focus group when I went up to Maker Field.

But there's a kind of nice, they dovetail quite nicely, like the themes of what voters were

saying and what I was discussing with Andy Burnham.

I mean, it's just the most extraordinary place, sort of stating the obvious, but I feel like

we might look back on this campaign and reflect, or historians will look back and think that we

didn't talk about how weird it was while it was happening. Like it is just mind-boggling.

And I started on this moment because it was, I don't know if I've fully captured how funny it was,

but Andy Brunham took me out on doorsteps with him, which is, we think we're the only journalists.

He'll be allowed to do that with him throughout the campaign.

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