UMVA has learned that a striking AI‑generated image has ignited a fresh clash between former UKIP leader Nigel Farage and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham as the by‑election looms on June 18.
The picture, posted by Farage, depicts migrants holding “vote Andy Burnham” signs, a provocative jab that revives the controversy surrounding a £5 million donation Farage received from a crypto billionaire just weeks before the general election.
In retaliation, Farage circulated a screenshot of a report claiming Burnham’s Greater Manchester Combined Authority will allocate £700,000 to help refugees surmount “barriers to housing, welfare and local services,” targeting those already granted asylum.
Accompanying the screenshot, Farage wrote, “Your scheme will provide housing and benefits to people who came here illegally. I prefer to put the British people first,” sharpening the rhetorical battle over immigration policy.
Burnham fired back with a tongue‑in‑cheek response, turning the spotlight back onto the £5 million crypto donation that has dogged Farage, while emphasizing his own record on immigration.
The contested seat lies in Wigan, a strong Brexit stronghold that voted Leave by roughly 63 % in the 2016 referendum, adding another layer of tension to the race.
Burnham, who served as MP for Leigh from 2001 to 2017, previously urged the government to scrap the “no recourse to public funds” restriction on immigrants, only to reverse his stance last week amid intensified scrutiny.
He later warned that net migration “needs to fall further,” citing the Office for National Statistics figure of 171,000 arrivals last year—the lowest level in over a decade.
Recent Survation polling shows Burnham holding a slim 43 % lead, just three points ahead of Reform Party candidate Robert Kenyon, with Restore UK’s Rebecca Shepherd at 7 % and the Liberal Democrats, Greens and Conservatives trailing in single digits.
As the campaign heats up, the AI image and the donation saga have turned what might have been a routine by‑election into a vivid showdown over identity, immigration and political loyalty.
