The streets of Ashton‑in‑Makerfield and Hindley, the two main towns in the Makerfield constituency in northwest England, still echo a past that no longer exists. Their inhabitants would like to regain the security of a mine closed decades ago or the stability provided by the wages of a factory now reduced to ruins. Instead, they are faced with logistics centers, service companies, healthcare and elderly care providers, and zero-hour contracts that do not guarantee a single work shift.