Conservative Failures in Red Wall Regions Jeopardize Election Prospects

Hopes and disappointments

Back in the last general election, Leigh made headlines by voting Conservative for the first time. Locals were buzzing with excitement, hoping for the transformation promised by the party.

But now, more than four years later, and just days before the next national election, the reality in Leigh is stark. The economic hardships are still very much visible. Picture this: boarded-up shops on the main street, mobile homes filling the town's main car park, and men wrapped in sleeping bags searching through bins for food. It's a tough scene, isn't it?

The broken promises

Back in 2019, then-prime minister Boris Johnson convinced towns like Leigh to back the Conservative party with a pledge to "get Brexit done" and promises of "levelling"up"—investing in local projects to rejuvenate deprived areas. Leigh saw the largest swing away from Labour in the country.

Fast forward to today, and many locals feel betrayed. Despite being assigned £32 million to redevelop the town centre, more than 99% of those funds remain unspent. Local political and bureaucratic squabbles have tied up the funds, highlighting the inefficiencies in Britain's public investment system.

A Town in Limbo

Leigh's first bid for 'levelling up' funding was rejected due to disputes between Labour local officials and the Conservative MP over how to use the money. A second bid succeeded, but most of the funds were only released in the past few months. Wigan Council, overseeing Leigh, has spent just £50,000 so far—a mere 0.2% of the allocated funds.

This pattern isn't unique to Leigh. Across Britain, only a fraction of the promised local regeneration funds have been spent, bogged down by overly complex bidding rules and a lack of transparency.

Voices from Leigh

John Riedyard, an 82-year-old former textile worker, expressed his frustration, saying, "We were promised the earth and given nothing." Of the 44 voters Reuters spoke to in Leigh, only one planned to vote Conservative again.

The Conservative government has blamed delays on the COVID-19 pandemic and high inflation, insisting that the success of their policies should be judged over a decade. Michael Winstanley, the Conservative candidate in Leigh, blamed the Labour-run local council for the slow progress.

On the other hand, Jo Platt, the Labour candidate, emphasised the need to tackle underlying social issues like law and order, substance abuse, and mental health services rather than just investing in cosmetic changes.

A Town's Decline

Riedyard reminisced about the postwar Leigh he grew up in, a bustling town centre with grocers, butchers, and pubs. The closure of Leigh's last coal mine and a cabling factory around the turn of the century hit the town hard. Since 2010, all five large manufacturing companies have closed, and employment has fallen by 35% since 2019.

Reflecting its industrial heritage, Leigh was once home to one of the first public railways in northern England. Now, with no train station, Riedyard feels like "the world passes us by."

The future of Leigh

Linda Collier, who has run The Coffee Bar on Leigh's main shopping street since 1961, has always voted Labour. She wasn't surprised when Leigh backed the Conservatives in 2019, as many locals hoped for a return to secure jobs and community.

However, those promises now seem like a distant dream. Anger over immigration, a key driver of Brexit, still fuels local tensions. Some residents, disillusioned with both major parties, plan to vote for Nigel Farage's Reform UK party, which is expected to come in third in Leigh.

Whatever their political views, the people of Leigh are united in their desire for change. As delivery driver Chaudhary Jamshead Anwar put it, "Everywhere there's job losses; the situation is no good. So people want change."

And so, as Leigh prepares for the upcoming election, its residents are holding on to hope for a brighter future, despite the disappointments of the past.