Nick Buckley MBE says by-election is “first step in saving the country I love”

Nick Buckley MBE is standing for Advance UK in the Gorton and Denton by-election, saying the contest is about putting local people first.

A charity founder and former Reform UK representative, Mr Buckley spent 15 years working with homeless people and in 2011 founded The Mancunian Way. He says his campaign is rooted in decades of frontline community work.

“This is about being the first step in saving the country I love,” he said.

HMOs and housing pressures

Asked about concerns surrounding Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), Mr Buckley said Britain’s housing system has been “failing for decades”.

“We’re going back to the days of slum landlords,” he said, arguing that poor-quality shared housing must not be accepted.

He linked rising housing pressures to population growth and insufficient housebuilding and called for tighter oversight of landlords.

“Housing used to be private. Now it’s become a business,” he said. “Landlords have a social responsibility for what they’re delivering.”

While acknowledging that HMOs are sometimes necessary, particularly for vulnerable people, including those with addiction histories or experience of homelessness, he said their location and management are crucial.

“It’s about balance,” he said. “We need better HMOs, better people running them, and councils being a lot tougher on rogue landlords. You can’t just cluster everyone into one neighbourhood and expect communities to thrive.”

Antisocial behaviour and youth intervention

Antisocial behaviour around the constituency was another issue raised by residents.

Mr Buckley said tackling the issue has been central to his career. He previously worked with Manchester City Council on community safety and later founded a charity focused on antisocial behaviour and youth intervention. He says he has advised two Prime Ministers on related policy.

“Young people are not the enemy,” he said. “It’s not about banning them. It’s about helping them understand social norms and acceptable behaviour.”

He is a strong advocate of detached youth work -  youth workers engaging directly with young people on the streets, particularly those excluded from school or youth clubs.

“When young people get kicked out of school and youth clubs, they’re left to figure life out on their own,” he said. “That’s when gangs step in.”

Mr Buckley said he would use his MP’s salary to fund a street-based youth project in the constituency, working at least twice a week to tackle knife crime and antisocial behaviour.

“We need conversations about their future - careers, consequences, opportunities,” he said. “There are no quick fixes, but we can start improving outcomes.”

Local roots

Although he now lives in Manchester city centre, Mr Buckley describes himself as “a local lad”.

He lived in Gorton as a child, attended primary school locally and secondary school in Belle Vue, and has based projects and youth clubs in the area over the years. He also founded The Mancunian Way charity in Gorton.

“My family are still here,” he said. “I know the area very well.”

“Be selfish, vote local”

Asked why residents should back him, Mr Buckley said the by-election is about local representation rather than national political point-scoring.

“This isn’t a general election where one MP changes the government,” he said. “Whoever wins, nothing changes nationally.”

Instead, he urged voters to focus on who can secure the best deal for Gorton and Denton.

“Be a little bit selfish,” he said. “Think about your family, your neighbourhood. Who has the track record of fighting for this area?”

He added: “There are no grand promises here. We start small. Fix the foundations. Build from there.”

Voters in Gorton and Denton go to the polls on 26 February.