Voters are crying out for change and back big, bold moves
In the days before a closely watched byelection in Makerfield, a constituency in Greater Manchester, a survey of local voters has revealed a quiet but firm consensus: that those who seek power must earn it through both personal conduct and a genuine commitment to economic fairness. Fifty-five percent of residents say offensive social media posts would cost a candidate their vote, while large majorities back water renationalisation, a wealth tax, and caps on political donations. These are not the demands of a fringe — they are the considered expectations of ordinary people who have been watching, and who are now speaking.
- Reform UK candidate Robert Kenyon faces mounting scrutiny over years of inflammatory social media posts, including remarks described as sexist and derogatory toward gay people, as the byelection draws national attention.
- The tension is not only about one candidate — it reflects a broader public impatience with politicians who treat online spaces as consequence-free zones, with 55% of Makerfield voters prepared to punish that behaviour at the ballot box.
- Beneath the conduct debate lies a deeper economic restlessness: 73% of voters want water companies returned to public ownership, and majorities support a wealth tax and donation caps, signalling that frustration with inequality has reached a tipping point.
- Provisions from Labour's Employment Rights Act — including first-day sick pay and bereavement leave for pregnancy loss — command strong majority support, suggesting voters want structural protections, not just symbolic gestures.
- The byelection on June 18 is shaping into a test of whether voter demands for accountability and economic reform carry real electoral weight, with implications that stretch far beyond this single Greater Manchester seat.
In the weeks before a byelection that has drawn national attention, voters in Makerfield have made their expectations plain. A survey of 518 constituents, commissioned by 38 Degrees and conducted by Survation, found that 55% would be less likely to vote for a candidate who had posted offensive material online. The finding lands with particular force given that Reform UK's candidate, Robert Kenyon, is facing scrutiny over a pattern of inflammatory social media posts spanning years — including remarks described as sexist, derogatory toward gay people, and crude comments about women seeking abortions. Broadcaster Caroline Vorderman has already called publicly for an apology.
The seat itself carries political weight beyond the local. Sitting Labour MP Josh Simons stepped aside to allow Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to contest it, with polling day set for June 18. But what the survey captures goes well beyond the conduct of any single candidate.
On economic questions, Makerfield voters hold strong and cross-cutting views. Nearly three-quarters — 73% — want water companies returned to public ownership, against just 13% who favour continued privatisation. The frustration is not abstract: years of sewage discharges, rising bills, and executive pay controversies have made renationalisation a mainstream position. Fifty-four percent support a wealth tax on assets above £10 million, with revenue directed to the NHS and schools, while 51% want a cap on individual political donations.
The poll also tested attitudes toward key provisions of Labour's Employment Rights Act. Setting the minimum wage at a cost-of-living level commands 72% support. Two-thirds back paid bereavement leave for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks, and 57% want to retain first-day sick pay for all workers. Opinion was more divided on banning fire-and-rehire practices, with 47% in favour of keeping the ban and 42% opposed.
Veronica Hawking of 38 Degrees described Makerfield as a microcosm of a broader national mood — one hungry for meaningful change on public services, economic fairness, and political accountability. As June 18 approaches, the question is whether that mood translates into electoral pressure. The voters of Makerfield are signalling clearly what they want. Whether politicians across all parties are listening is another matter.
In the weeks before a byelection that has drawn national attention, voters in Makerfield have sent a clear signal about what they expect from their politicians. A survey of 518 constituents, commissioned by the campaign group 38 Degrees and conducted by Survation, found that 55% of residents would be less likely to vote for a candidate who had posted offensive material online. The finding arrives as the Reform UK candidate, Robert Kenyon, faces scrutiny over his past social media comments, which have included statements describing himself as sexist, derogatory language about gay people, and crude remarks about women seeking abortions.
The polling reveals something deeper than simple disapproval of bad behavior. It suggests that voters in this Greater Manchester constituency are thinking carefully about character and accountability at a moment when the seat itself has become a focal point for national politics. The sitting Labour MP, Josh Simons, stepped aside to allow Andy Burnham, the region's mayor, to fight for the seat. The byelection is scheduled for June 18. Broadcaster Caroline Vorderman has already called on Kenyon to apologize for what she termed "disgusting comments" he made about her, but the broader pattern of his online history—spanning years of inflammatory posts—has become part of the campaign's texture.
Yet the Makerfield poll captures something that extends well beyond the conduct of individual candidates. Voters here hold strong views on economic fairness, and those views cut across traditional party boundaries. Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed—73%—want water companies returned to public ownership, compared with just 13% who believe they should remain privatized. This is not a fringe position. It reflects sustained frustration with the privatized water sector, which has faced mounting criticism over sewage discharges, executive pay, and aging infrastructure. The appetite for renationalization is mainstream.
Similarly, 54% of Makerfield voters support introducing a wealth tax on assets exceeding £10 million, with the revenue directed toward the NHS, schools, and other public services. Only 28% oppose such a tax. Just over half of those surveyed—51%—believe there should be a cap on the maximum amount any individual can donate to a political party or candidate, while 38% say donors should be free to give as much as they wish. Damian Lyons Lowe, Survation's chief executive, noted that these positions reflect genuine voter concern about economic fairness and accountability, not marginal sentiment.
The survey also tested support for specific measures in the Labour government's recently passed Employment Rights Act. The most popular provision was setting the minimum wage at a level that covers the cost of living—72% of voters want to keep it, only 12% want it removed. Two-thirds support paid bereavement leave for pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. A majority, 57%, want to retain the guarantee that all workers receive sick pay from their first day absent due to illness. Opinion was more divided on banning "fire-and-rehire" practices, where employers dismiss workers and rehire them on worse terms—47% would keep the ban, 42% would remove it.
Veronica Hawking, campaigns director at 38 Degrees, framed the results as a window into how voters across the country are thinking. "Makerfield is a microcosm," she said, describing constituents as hungry for change and willing to back bold moves toward fairness, better public services, and relief from the cost of living crisis. The polling suggests that voters here are not content with incremental adjustments. They want water returned to public hands, wealth redistributed through taxation, and political donations constrained. They want politicians who conduct themselves with basic decency online.
As the byelection approaches, the question is whether these voter priorities will translate into electoral pressure. The results suggest that candidates across all parties should be paying attention—not just in Makerfield, but nationally. Voters are signaling what they value: accountability, economic fairness, and public ownership of essential services. Whether politicians heed that signal will shape the conversation well beyond June 18.
Citas Notables
Voters in Makerfield hold strong views on economic fairness and accountability, and those views cut across traditional party lines.— Damian Lyons Lowe, Survation chief executive
Makerfield is a microcosm for how many voters across the country are feeling right now. They are crying out for change and back big, bold moves to make our country fairer.— Veronica Hawking, 38 Degrees campaigns director
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter that 55% of voters say they'd reject a candidate for offensive posts? Isn't that just common sense?
It matters because it shows voters are actively using social media conduct as a filter. It's not abstract disapproval—it's a voting threshold. And it's happening in a real byelection where one candidate is already under fire for exactly this.
The water renationalization number is striking—73%. How did we get here?
Years of frustration. Sewage in rivers, executive bonuses, aging pipes, rising bills. Privatization promised efficiency. It delivered the opposite. Voters have stopped believing the model works.
The wealth tax finding—54% support—seems to cut across traditional left-right lines. Why?
Because people are tired. Cost of living is crushing them. They see billionaires and think: that money could fix schools, fix the NHS. It's not ideology. It's desperation dressed as policy.
What about the fire-and-rehire split? 47% keep it, 42% remove it. That's almost even.
That one's genuinely contested. People understand the practice is brutal, but some worry about business flexibility. It's the only measure where voters aren't aligned. Everything else—minimum wage, sick pay, bereavement leave—has clear majorities.
Does this poll actually predict how people will vote in the byelection?
Not directly. But it tells you what voters care about. If politicians ignore these signals—water, wealth, accountability—they're ignoring what their constituents actually want. That's a risk.