THE TOWN AT AN ELECTION CROSSROADS

"I THINK they're all crackers. I don't think they live in the real world."

- JOSEPH TIMAN

Pauline has not voted for anyone in recent years. The 67-year-old is one of many Radcliffe residents who has lost faith in politics.

The town is no stranger to political drama. Local MP Christian Wakeford, whose constituency office overlooks the town square, crossed the floor to join Labour two years after becoming the first Conservative candidate to win the Bury South seat since 1992.

His defection to the party he beat by just 402 votes put the constituency in the national spotlight in 2022. Local elections in Radcliffe have also resulted in some political upsets recently with Labour wiped out of once 'safe seats' by a hyperlocal party later that year.

A poll published last month has predicted the next twist in the town's political tale. The YouGov MRP poll concluded Labour would win Bury South at a general election, with the Conservatives expected to lose every constituency in Greater Manchester.

The forecast, based on data about the type of voters living in each area, suggests that many of Mr Wakeford's constituents would switch to Labour, with pollsters putting the party 18 percentage points ahead of the Conservatives. But when the M.E.N. asked people in Radcliffe how they would vote, there was no enthusiasm for either party.

"I don't think there's much to choose between any of them," one woman said. "I've lost faith in them all."