Image caption, Karen Jones hopes the Budget will help people keep more of the money they earn
ByAnnabel TiffinNorth West political editor- Published16 minutes ago
On a wet Tuesday in October, Platt Bridge Community Centre, near Wigan, is alive with the music of Shania Twain. About 30 women and one man are line dancing to her hit Man! I Feel Like a Woman! The class is so popular that the centre has recently introduced an extra session to meet demand.
The community centre is in the heart of Andy Burnham's constituency, Makerfield, and they know all about budgeting here. It is run entirely by volunteers and has recently had to raise thousands of pounds for a new roof.
Norman Smith is one of the trustees. He says running the centre comes with tremendous financial challenges.
"It's a very old building, and sometimes the trustees feel like they're trying to keep all the plates spinning, it's very hard at times."
As well as line dancing, the centre is home to Wigan table tennis club. It also offers a food bank and a warm space.
Smith says the centre is an essential part of the Platt Bridge community.
"No one gets paid for working here. We have around 500 people using the centre. Financially it couldn't run without the volunteers."
Platt Bridge is one of the most deprived parts of Wigan.
When Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election, he said the constituency would not be a "stepping stone" to No 10, although he went on to become prime minister.
Image caption, Line dancers take part in a class at Platt Bridge Community Centre, near Wigan
Instead, he said he wanted it to be a "touchstone", with every government policy or announcement having to meet a "Makerfield test". If it works there, it will work for other communities like it.
In his victory speech in June, Burnham said: "A Makerfield test at the heart of British politics will make sure that the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness."
John Healey's first Budget will be a real test of that.
Will people in Ashton feel they have more or less money when they do their weekly shop? Will a small business in Abram have more confidence to expand and take on more staff?
Zoe Billingham, from the think tank IPPR North, says the Budget will be a "balancing act" between the pressures people are facing from the rising cost of living and the economic headwinds caused by events such as the war in Iran.
She says it will be a "really important budget to show who they [the government] stand for".
She wants to know who will be asked to shoulder those economic pressures and who will receive support?
"The Makerfield test is a really valuable way of making sure that the economy works in service of ordinary people," she says.
Image caption, Sue Hughes says Platt Bridge is a vibrant community which deserves support
Back at the community centre, Sue Hughes, chair of the trustees, thinks the government is already recognising the area's needs.
Platt Bridge and nearby Spring View have been awarded £20m over the next 10 years through Pride in Place funding.
"I can't complain about the support this area is being given, but more support is always welcome," she says.
"Platt Bridge is a really vibrant community, despite being so deprived. So the community itself deserves that support."
Image caption, Sophie Lowe says she had to find work closer to home because of rising petrol costs
Burnham's government has made several announcements aimed at tackling the cost of living, including a £2 bus fare cap, removing VAT on domestic electricity bills and business rates relief for pubs and live music venues.
But the prime minister recently admitted it was not enough and hinted that there could be further support in the Budget.
Sophie Lowe, 29, from Abram, has a two-year-old daughter. She says she has not yet felt the benefit of any of Burnham's policies.
"I found it hard going back to work, but we needed the two incomes just to cover the bills."
She says she had to leave her job in Merseyside and find one closer to home because the cost of petrol was too high.
Image caption, Joanne Ainscow wants all foster carers to receive the same council tax support
The price at the pumps is also an issue for one of the line dancers, Joanne Ainscow, who says she now spends at least £20 more every time she fills up.
But the 57-year-old foster carer also thinks the government can do more to help workers like her by exempting them from council tax.
Some local authorities offer a 100% discount or full exemption for foster carers in the UK, while many others do not.
"We are all doing the same job, so it should be the same across the board. It should be equal," she says.
Image caption, Nicha Rowson believes local politicians are listening to residents' concerns
Nicha Rowson, 35, says she believes the Platt Bridge community is "being heard" under Burnham's stewardship.
She says that when residents speak to their local MP and councillors, they are "taking in our voices".
She believes that if politicians listen to what residents are saying, Makerfield could become "this amazing place".
Taking a rest from line dancing, Karen Jones, 67, from Ashton-in-Makerfield, says she will be watching the Budget on Wednesday with interest.
"I want to see what they can do for people," she says.
She wants the chancellor to look at helping people keep more of their money.
"People are struggling to earn a decent living and then they're taxed quite a lot on it, there should be a little bit more relief for them, I think."
The Budget coincides with Andy Burnham's first 100 days in office.
The steps he and the chancellor take on Wednesday could determine how well the next 100 days are received.
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