The new-look Northern Spin podcast is back.

The podcast, which was last aired in 2023 after five successful seasons, has returned as Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham attempts to win the Makerfield by-election ahead of a possible bid to become the next Prime Minister.

Frank McKenna joins BusinessCloud Executive Editor Chris Maguire as the new co-host of the show, which is now called ‘Northern Spin with Maguire and McKenna’.

A former politician himself, McKenna is the chief executive and group chairman of the influential private sector lobby group and business networking organisation Downtown in Business.

In the first 75-minute episode of Northern Spin, the pair discuss a range of issues, including:

• Can Brand Burnham win over Makerfield, Labour and the country?
• Is it Burnham or bust for Labour?
• Will Carol Vorderman finish off Reform candidate Rob Kenyon after the sexism row?
• Would victory in Makerfield make Burnham Labour’s next leader-in-waiting?
• Why does Burnham need to ditch the ‘King of the North’ label?

‘Sh*t or bust’ for Burnham

McKenna, who is an Everton fan like the Greater Manchester Mayor, said: “As far as Andy Burnham is concerned, in a sense this is sh*t or bust.

“He’s basically put his future political career on the line in a constituency that would ordinarily be a relatively safe Labour seat. In the current environment, however, it is marginal and considered a challenging seat for Labour to win.”

Maguire, who describes himself as being in the ‘political wilderness’, responded to accusations that Burnham was a ‘cynical chameleon’ who would do anything to advance his career.

He told Northern Spin: “Andy Burnham would not be standing in this by-election if things were going well for Keir Starmer and Labour.

“Is he an opportunist? No, I don’t think so. It’s like being a football manager. If things are going well, nobody looks to get rid of the manager.

“I think he can see Labour’s chances disappearing faster than Everton’s chances of getting into Europe.

“I don’t think that scares him, but I think it really frustrates him. I think he’s put his name in the hat because if he doesn’t, that will be it for him.

Now or never

“If he loses and enters the political wilderness, I think he will look back and say, ‘You regret the things you don’t do rather than the things you do’.”

Maguire and McKenna are also working on a special episode about the life and times of the so-called ‘King of the North’, based on their many interviews and meetings with the Labour politician.

A decision on whether the podcast returns permanently will be made after the Makerfield by-election.

Maguire said he decided to bring Northern Spin back because he wanted to ‘raise the quality of political conversation’ ahead of the most important by-election of his lifetime.

He said: “It’s not my job as a journalist to tell people how to vote.

“Unfortunately, not everyone thinks the same. The campaign is being hijacked by a mix of people, many from outside the North, with their own agendas, and the casualty is the truth.

“We want Northern Spin to be good, honest debate around the facts so that people can make informed decisions.”

You can listen to the episode here or watch it on BusinessCloud’s YouTube channel here.

The episode’s producer is Dan Brown, of Renowned.

A total of 14 candidates are standing in the Makerfield by-election. A full list can be found here