Reform UK's candidate to replace Andy Burnham said people concerned about immigration were not 'nasty people or rampant racists' and that Manchester was built on 'fantastic immigration.'
Seven candidates are running to replace Andy Burnham as the Mayor of Greater Manchester in three weeks’ time.
Voters will go to the polls across each of the ten Greater Manchester boroughs for the by-election on July 30, selecting both their favourite and second favourite candidates.
During a mayoral election hustings hosted by the Manchester Evening News on July 8, Reform UK's candidate Sian Astley, denied her party had an 'agenda of hatred and division'.
Following a question on immigration, Ms Astley said: "Uncontrolled immigration came up on the doorstep over and over and over again and it didn't come up from people who were nasty people or rampant racists."
She said people were concerned about immigration's impact on housing, education, and health services and while Manchester was 'built on fantastic immigration', current levels are putting pressure on the city's 20,000 household waiting list.
She said the issue was 'the elephant in the room' and politicians have to be honest about it.
Continue reading at Manchester Evening News:
Who are the candidates standing in Greater Manchester Mayor election 2026
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/who-candidates-standing-greater-manchester-34334761
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