Film director Ken Loach and renowned actor Maxine Peake have endorsed Wigan’s Independent candidate Jan Cunliffe. Ms Cunliffe is standing against Labour high-flyer Lisa Nandy in the seat that has been held by the party since 1918.
The 51-year-old social campaigner says she met Loach and Peake at the Wigan Diggers Festival which commemorates Gerrard Winstanley, the Wigan-born political philospher.
Loach, 88, has been acclaimed for Brit-flicks like Kes and Cathy Come Home and other labour rights-type movies while Bolton-born Peake is a well-known feminist and socialist.
In the piece-to-camera video, Peake reads out words given to her by Loach, describing Ms Cunliffe as ‘an outstanding candidate’.
The 51-year-old social campaigner says she met Loach and Peake at the Wigan Diggers Festival which commemorates Gerrard Winstanley, the Wigan-born political philospher.
Loach, 88, has been acclaimed for Brit-flicks like Kes and Cathy Come Home and other labour rights-type movies while Bolton-born Peake is a well-known feminist and socialist.
In the piece-to-camera video, Peake reads out words given to her by Loach, describing Ms Cunliffe as ‘an outstanding candidate’.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Hello, my name is Maxine Peake and I've been asked by the wonderful Jan Cunliffe to read
00:06a message of support that has been sent to her from the mighty and esteemed film director,
00:12the one and only Mr Ken Lodge. So, this is a message of support for Jan Cunliffe in this
00:20election as the outstanding candidate for Wigan from Ken Lodge.
00:26Jan will represent and fight for the interests of the people. She knows, as well as we all
00:35do, you can't put a cigarette paper between Starmer's Labour Party and the Tories. She
00:40is outraged by the silence on the shocking increase in poverty and the rising demands
00:46on food banks. Jan will fight for houses that people can afford, an end to low pay and job
00:55insecurity, and public services like transport, water and the post office to be taken back
01:01into public ownership so that they can work for us all. Jan will demand a health service
01:09that is properly funded, with step six staff and kicks out the private health companies.
01:16Unlike Labour, Jan believes there is no place for profiteers in the NHS. Jan showed her
01:24strength and determination in her fight to end the injustice of joint enterprise, that
01:31is people being convicted of crimes in which they only had a fleeting connection to the
01:37criminals. You don't get a change in the law unless you have the guts to fight until
01:43you win. Jan has a wide view of politics. She opposes war crimes, whoever commits them.
01:52She condemns the atrocities being committed against the Palestinians in Gaza. In contrast
01:57to Starmer and Sunak, Jan demands an end to the selling of arms to Israel. Jan's will
02:05support all serious measures to protect the environment from the impending disaster of
02:11climate change. Wigan has the chance to elect a remarkable MP. Jan Cunliffe is not someone
02:20who will change her tune when the party changes its leader. She is a principled, strong woman
02:27who will not betray your trust. We already know the likely result of this election. Now
02:34may I urge you to vote for Jan Cunliffe, a true independent. Ken Loach. Thank you.