The Makerfield Gamble & Wes Side Story

The Makerfield Gamble & Wes Side Story

From The Trawl by Jemma Forte & Marina Purkiss

May 20, 2026 · 49 min · Episode 367

About this episode

Marina and Jemma discuss the implications of Labour's internal conflicts and the upcoming Makerfield by-election amidst a backdrop of political turmoil.

Marina and Jemma are spiralling over Labour’s risky civil war. With Andy Burnham heading into the hugely consequential Makerfield by-election, Wes Streeting apparently eyeing the top job, and Reform circling like sharks, the pair ask: how the hell did we end up here already? There’s fury over Brexit being dragged back from the dead, despair at the state of political discourse, confusion over Eurovision, and a growing sense that liberal democracies everywhere are entering their “what could possibly go wrong?” era. Plus: globe-faced insults, emotional support via concert tickets, and perhaps the most stressful by-election since England last went to penalties. Thank you for sharing and please do follow us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcast   Patreon https://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcast   Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawl   Twitter https://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcast If you’ve even mildly enjoyed The Trawl, you’ll love the unfiltered, no-holds-barred extras from Jemma & Marina over on Patreon, including: • Exclusive episodes of The Trawl Goss – where Jemma and Marina spill backstage gossip, dive into their personal lives, and often forget the mic is…

People in this episode

Hosts: Marina Purkiss, Jemma Forte

Topics covered

  • Labour civil war
  • Makerfield by-election
  • political discourse
  • Brexit
  • Eurovision
  • liberal democracies

Keywords

  • Labour
  • by-election
  • politics
  • Brexit
  • Eurovision
  • Andy Burnham
  • Wes Streeting

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Reform

Books & works: Eurovision

Places: England

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