The Guardian World · Aug 15, 2026

‘Let’s see what he can do’: will Burnham bring voters back to Labour heartlands?

With questions over Farage’s finances and a new face in No 10, could Barnsley council be a bellwether for changing Labour fortunes? Could the South Yorkshire town, where Reform UK reaped the benefits of dissatisfaction with Labour, prove to be a test case for whether the governing party has turned the tide?