Oasis have seemingly given Andy Burnham their seal of approval, granting him permission to use their song ‘Some Might Say’ in a new by-election campaign video.
The clip dropped yesterday (Monday May 18) on Burnham’s official social media channels, with the classic Britpop track playing in the background as he pitches his bid to return to Westminster.
The politician has served as the Mayor of Greater Manchester since 2017, and has been confirmed as the Labour candidate for the upcoming Makerfield by-election (via BBC News), which is set to be held on June 18. With the move, he is seeking to return to Westminster as an MP and challenge current PM Keir Starmer for leadership of the Labour Party.
In the video, Burnham is seen retracing his roots in Ashton-in-Makerfield, pointing out the school he went to and explaining that his “journey began in this area”. He is also seen in various parts of Manchester, meeting people in St Peter’s Square and the Gay Village, and explaining that while “politics isn’t working for places like ours”, he strongly believes he can “change that”.
“I love everything about Manchester. Everything. It’s just the feeling, the people… that’s what’s to love,” he said. “Some say this by-election is unnecessary. I say it is the most consequential of our lives. I don’t take anything for granted and I’m ready to accept the consequences of whatever choice people make.”
At the start of the clip, Elbow’s anthem ‘One Day Like This’ is heard playing in the background, and towards the end of the four-minute clip, it fades into Oasis’ classic ‘Some Might Say’. It ends with the camera looking out into the distance, as Liam Gallagher sings: “We will find a brighter day.”
Politics isn’t working for places like ours.
I will change that.#AndyBurnham #ForUs pic.twitter.com/N6RsOlVkob
— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) May 18, 2026
Burnham has worked with and shared his love of Oasis multiple times over the years. In 2024, for example, he spoke to Sky News about his excitement at them announcing the mammoth Live ‘25 reunion tour.
“This is the day that Manchester has been waiting for,” he said at the time, joking that he was most excited for Liam and Noel Gallagher’s mum Peggy when it came to the news of their comeback.
“I’ve had a bit of contact with Noel in recent times; they’re both brilliant,” he added, recalling that he had seen both brothers live on separate occasions, and had worked with the two of them for events around the city.
For Noel, he recalled the singer-songwriter “helping us out when we were raising funds for homelessness”, and for Liam, he remembered how the frontman “did the announcements on our trams to support a new music conference we’ve got in the city – Beyond The Music”. LG did the same on the transport network last year, ahead of Oasis’ homecoming five-night stint at Heaton Park.
Burnham has been vocal about his support for the UK’s music industry too, and told Sky News that he hoped to see people in Parliament start to “celebrate our music industry a bit more”.
“It’s the thing that Britain does better than anywhere else in the world, but I don’t think we celebrate it enough,” he added.
At the Oasis tour, it was confirmed that the money made from their Heaton Park shows would go towards funding grassroots music venues in the city. In 2025, Burnham spoke out after Manchester Pride went bust, leaving many artists and performers unpaid.
In his comments, he described the event as “amazing” and “uplifting”, and also vowed to work closely with the Manchester City Council to provide support for those affected by the financial issues.
Earlier this year, the Manchester Mayor helped confirm that the city’s Beyond The Music festival –which he helped found – would be returning in 2026, and continue to explore current issues facing the music industry via keynote conversations, industry showcases and networking opportunities.
“Greater Manchester has always been willing to take a stand on the issues that matter – standing up for the people behind the music, making sure they are recognised, rewarded, and able to build sustainable careers,” he said in March.
He also spoke to NME with other figures from the music industry in 2024 about the festival and the dire need to support the grassroots venues and artists across the country.
NME asked him for his reaction to Coldplay making their own ticket levy, after the band announced they would donate 10 per cent of their profits from their 2025 UK stadium shows to save the grassroots.
With the move, Chris Martin and co. followed in the footsteps of Enter Shikari, and in the wake of recommendations from MPs to add a £1 levy on arena and stadium gigs.
“I wholeheartedly support it,” Burnham told us. “I made a call here last year that the industry needs to do more to give back to support its own grassroots venues, rehearsal spaces and talent development systems. I think it’s brilliant, and I applaud Coldplay for doing that.”
