How about we miss the bus? >> We're not going to miss the bus. Need an intro to the film.
>> That's the bus, man. That is the bus. >> Come on.
We got to find out where this country's going by getting on this bus to the heart of a big old political battle. We're talking about the Gorton and Denton bi-election, which seems to be tightly contested between Labor, Reform UK, and the Green Party. I was born in this city.
I spent two of the great years of my life here do my A levels. But to state the blindly obvious, it can't be emphasized enough how much it's changed. [music] Starting with the buses, it's a sort of confident outward facing sort of place.
It's a city that works basically. >> It's quite a rare thing in modern England, isn't it? >> As far as I understand it, we're in Ger.
>> Come on, man. You don't need your phone for this. >> Yeah, but I can't.
It's about my plastic man credentials. I've never actually set foot in Ger. >> Watch your camera.
The gleaming apartment blocks of the city center have sort of receded it in the distance. >> If you look down Genon, they're that untidy and on the pavement all rubbish and everything. It's just the rats down there as well.
Flooded all over. >> They're putting money into Gorton though, aren't they? Turning it around.
>> So that area down there now is going to be bars and late night opening. Where why do we want that? Nobody's going to get doled up to come out for a night out in Gon Elliots.
It's you know mean not being rude but this is you know the lady in pajamas and you know I can't be on film with pajamas on. >> There's more homelessness now. It's an absolute crisis.
You know you've got million pound apartments in town and you've got people living in tents underneath them. They've rebranded an coat as New Islington. What's that about?
It might be New England when you're in your apartment, but it's still Anchco when you're in your tent underneath it. I just feel like Manchester's losing its way. >> But the standards in most places, Manchester's doing really well.
>> You ask people around here if they're doing really well. >> The economy in the city is doing really well, they say. >> Well, I'm working and I'm still struggling.
It's, you know, it's and then you've got beggars out there that are bragging earning 100 pound a day. >> And you see any politicians when you're watching TV or >> No, cuz I don't believe none of them. They live.
They don't live how we live. They don't like my mom's 78. She can't afford to put her eating on.
She's got terminal cancer. They're all right. They're rich.
Don't set me off honestly. >> The next stop is the park. >> Feels different again out here, doesn't it?
>> On our way to the uh the home turf of Mick [music] Hook Manunian legend, Simply Red. It may not be red for much longer. >> Nigel have been around this morning.
>> Have they? >> No. >> Yeah.
You're not seen it? >> No. >> I'm so annoyed that I've missed him.
>> Where's Nigel Franch now? >> Don't know. Why do you want to see him?
>> I keep I do what I say. >> Do you like him? >> Well, I do actually.
Like anyone overkiss to be honest, anyone is very >> What's the Now people keep saying this, right? We say kiss. I can't stand him.
>> Yeah. I just think it's it's worrying and it's scary to be honest. >> Like what >> for the young girls?
Well, our taxes where our taxes being spent, the NHS is still on its knees. >> What do you do? >> Two girls.
Um I'm a support worker and a cleaner and a dinner lady. >> You work three jobs. >> Yeah.
Won't get me started. >> That was getting started. >> So I'm 33 now.
I've worked since I were 15. Paid all my life. >> And I'm scared to walk the streets of it.
I'm still living at home with my mom and dad cuz I've got no chance. >> Yeah. Just a joke, is it?
The country the way it's going. Yeah. >> But you're still living at home.
>> Yeah. >> With your parents. >> Yeah.
>> And because getting the house, getting a home done. I could get a I could get a house share, but then you're living with again weirdos, men from different countries that are threatening towards us. >> You say you feel scared about people, some people from abroad, right?
>> If you were to go to hospital, >> I'm scared of English men as well, don't totally. Yeah. >> But people talk a lot about immigration.
It's immigrants who keep the NHS going. You know, if you got a hospital, most of the nurses are from abroad. >> I haven't got anything.
>> If your relatives are in a care home, most of them work there from absolutely fine. That's >> But not not people that are on the streets that have fought for our country. >> Yeah, that's not fair.
That's >> people coming in on boats that are getting put up in hotels. >> You're getting a new food hall here. Is that a good thing?
>> I think so. Yeah. >> Won't be able to afford to eat.
I can't afford to eat as it is. Can't afford to have the eating on. I'm always freezing.
Parents won't put it on. Can't afford it. >> When you do go out, where'd you go?
>> Not at all. >> You don't go in the middle of Manchester? >> No, not since I was a teenager.
>> Look, it's some reform fellas. >> So, get a leaflet. >> Thank you very much.
>> Get rid of K Star. Vote Matt Goodwin for reform UK on the 26th of February. Reform will stop the boats and end local hotels and houses being stuffed full of illegal immigrants at taxpayers expense.
Reform will put British people first for health care, social housing, and welfare benefits. And end handouts to foreign nationals. Usual subtle stuff.
And lawlessness on our streets. I mean, this does unfortunately echo with exactly what we just heard, right? Make Gorton and Denton impossible to ignore.
Right, we're down at quite a different part of the constituency. >> You cannot overemphasize what a diverse constituency it is. Right.
I don't think Reform UK have ever been in contention for a seat like this. >> We've been in long sight and Gordon and Denton covering the >> bi-election. The bi-election >> and he's [laughter] been everybody says Andy Vernon.
>> He's been stopped >> and they've stopped him running. >> I'm an immigration lawyer myself. You're very involved all the time in the politics and the law of immigration.
So when you see them >> making all this noise about immigration, how do you feel? >> Well, that's what upsets me. That's why I want to say that this is not healthy.
Uh it's causing division in the community. >> We told you for a minute >> about what >> about the bi-election? >> It's 2026.
You're going to have hate everywhere you go, mate. >> Right. >> Does it worry you?
>> Not really. No. As long as we pay our cards right as Muslims just nothing to do with it.
>> So what do you think of it yourself? >> What the bi-election reform UK worry me? >> I don't know about Nigel Farah.
>> I don't worry about nothing, mate. >> Good attitude. >> You only believe in one thing.
>> What's that? >> God. That's it.
>> That's good. >> Well, do you want to have a look in the market? >> I just had a cameraman out here, mate.
Excuse me. boat. >> Were you running away from?
>> Nothing is balancing at the moment. The economy is gone. >> And was there a point where it was going right?
Like when did it start going wrong? >> Um, since co >> everything everything plummet since co >> Nobody talks about co do they? >> No.
>> Nobody. >> Nobody because they're scared it comes back. [laughter] >> People are just surviving these days.
If you have a choice, you you you rather limit the food and keep the roof and the gas and the electric. >> And that's the way you live at the minute. >> That's the way everybody is living at the minute.
Most of us, >> I speak for the majority. >> As a worker, you think improvise, adapt, and overcome. >> That's all you got.
>> Do you know about these reform UK? Put British people first. It says it.
It says put British people first, but it's not only British people in it. Other people come here and help the British people to build a country. >> That's what they never mentioned.
>> Yeah. My granddad fight war for England. My grandad I've got British children.
>> Are you Do you feel British yourself? >> Well, I am British. >> Yeah.
>> I'm not talking about the boats. >> Don't smile. >> I'm not talking about that because that is totally wrong.
Do you know about the bi-election in four weeks here? >> The bi-election I'm staying out of it mean >> maybe >> I'm staying out of it. >> No, I'm not voting at all.
>> People often say I'm not interested in politics. The problem is politics is interested in you. >> BBC Radio Manchester >> update.
>> The Green Party will unveil its candidates for the Gon bction today. >> Another party very interested in taking the seat from Labor of the Greens. Activists old and new are coming together to campaign for them.
>> This is the leaflet. It is big. Fold it into half around the delivery stick.
It kind of feels like enough's enough now. And I need to do something. We need a party that's going to stand up for issues for people such as immigration, such as the environment, such as um um kind of like being good to each other.
Yeah. >> I mean, I work in a school in a constituency. I've worked with kids all day today who've probably come from about 40 different nationalities.
We're all getting on fine. The parents are at the gate. It's one great community that's really cohesive and people get on with each other.
And it would horrify me if reform got into this constituency. >> I was a Labour member up till like last year. Um I think >> did you do five?
>> I've just done five. Do you want to do seven? Uh yeah, the disability cuts uh were the kind of like thing for me like I'm um so I'm autistic.
Um it's just like seeing the way they felt okay to just kind of like throw disabled people under the bus. I mean there's a lot of people that have been thrown under the bus over the uh the last few years. >> There's a sense [music] here of something most politicians barely talk about.
We're living in a time where insecurity [music] is becoming almost universal. just feels like the kind of like opportunities have narrowed. Like I worked in I' have worked in an industry that is being automated at the moment.
Like I'm in the creative industry. So uh and you just feel like I I've put a lot of energy into something that has kind of like become automated and kind of just difficult to make a living in in. And you see something like labor where they're kind of just giving cart blanch to like AI companies.
It's just feels a little bit like they're not really got you back. >> Like with the greens and what Zach's doing, the bringing in people from like the younger generations again and giving them like some kind of hope like it's kind of like a lightning rod for people to galvanize around. >> I suppose that given that Manchester is associated with the sort of social and cultural cutting edge, it's probably not that surprising that this very very 21st century modern polarized politics has arrived here.
There's this intense conversation going on about the future and weirdly the Labour Party, the governing party isn't really part of it, is it? >> So, you're building the new Manchester apartment >> basically part of it. >> What's it going to be?
>> What's it going to be? >> Like apartment? >> Yeah, it's going to be apartments.
>> Luxury apartments. >> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Some of them cost up to 250 grand. >> Half a million. >> Some of them are half a million.
Yeah. >> Where do you Which part of town do you live in? >> Denton.
>> Oh, you live in Oh, so we got Gordon and Denton. >> Gorton and Denton. Yeah.
But do you feel like this is your Manchester and >> you sort of belong here and you're part of it? >> Maybe not so much anymore. >> Not anymore.
>> About the bi-election this year. >> I was just going to say that I don't think K star is doing a very good job. I think he's being bossed around >> by who?
>> Other higherups. >> The higherups, the other the other countries. And >> I don't know.
I don't know. >> You think he's a bit sort of weak? >> Yeah.
I think I don't think he's got his own his own sort of views and values he's taken from others. >> Right. I like Nigel Farage.
>> You like Nigel Farage? >> I do. I do.
>> Mental health nurse. >> Yeah. >> Oh, wow.
Okay. >> Job. >> Yeah.
>> How do you feel about the future? >> It's all right. You hope for the future will be brighter, will be better.
>> You always keep on hoping. >> Ask you a quick question. >> Yes.
[laughter] >> You watch our series. You think you think someone needs a fright? >> Yeah, absolutely.
>> But then what are your options voting wise? >> Well, that's that's the good question, isn't it? At the minute, because it's the Greens or reform, and I'm not going to vote for reform.
>> I think the country needs a shock as well, right? >> We just had about five. >> Yeah.
Yeah. But but it's it's done nothing, right? Politics needs to change in some huge way, right?
>> And and maybe that requires something that is not very nice to happen for a while, right? I thought Brexit was that >> but I also thought the pandemic was >> Yeah. But it didn't >> sort of alert people to inequality and poverty and fact we couldn't carry on like this financial crash 15 years ago.
I mean, you know, >> well exactly one. >> Exactly. And so >> one damn thing after another and we're still stuck going around in circles.
>> What's the political story? The Labour Party's had it and here comes Nigel Farage. I've been telling that story for 15 years.
[music] >> I think before I came here, I didn't think this was going to happen. You see, the idea that we'd be returning to this division between these very different views about what kind of country people want to live in, who's British, and whether you're hopeful or resentful. And all this is in play in politics, not just here, but all over the world.
