A visit to Ashton-in-Makerfield this week offered a glimpse of broken Britain.

The area has long been considered Labour territory, but on the streets there was little sign of enthusiasm for the party.

Voters seemed weary, detached and unconvinced that politics had much to offer them. 

One encounter stood out. A young woman approached while I was filming and asked what I was doing. She was polite, curious and keen to talk. But as the conversation unfolded, it became clear she had little understanding of the election, the voting system, or how to take part.

It was a sad moment. This was not a personal failing. It was a failure of the system around her. She appeared to have a black eye. I do not know the circumstances, and it would be wrong to speculate. But the image stayed with me. A young woman in a working class town, seemingly forgotten by the very institutions that claim to protect, educate and represent people like her. That is the reality in too many pockets of Britain. Politicians talk about opportunity, fairness and community. 

Yet in places like this, many people appear to have been left behind, with little sense of power, little civic knowledge and little belief that anything will change. Labour should not assume these communities will remain loyal forever. The red wall is not a possession. It has to be earned. But this is bigger than party politics. 

When people do not understand how to use their democratic voice, democracy itself is failing them. Ashton-in-Makerfield was a reminder that even in Britain, there are forgotten communities.

Sadly, this young lady was stark reminder of a country that has forgotten too many of its own.