Even with a biting wind whipping down Royton high street, shopkeepers are taking their lunch breaks outside, pensioners are milling about the park and parents with small kids are dodging between the shops on Market Square. 

The weather won’t put them off. But the general election does. 

“Nah, I don’t care about all that, sorry,” one mum said, making a wide swerve towards the Boyes with her buggy. 

Of the dozens of people stopped to ask about the upcoming vote in Royton town centre, most said they either ‘weren’t interested’ or ‘didn’t know if they’d vote’. 

“I don’t even know the voting age,” a nineteen-year-old from the area said. “I don’t really understand it all so I don’t want to get into it.” 

This could potentially be bad news for Labour in Oldham East, Chadderton and Royton.

The constituency has been a safe seat for the party since it was created in 1997. 

And while Labour’s Jim McMahon has represented the area in parliament for nearly a decade, growing apathy and interest in parties like Reform UK and Pro-Palestinian independents could eat into the party’s comfortable majority this year. 

“I’ve always been a Labour voter but I have no confidence in any of them at the present time,” 69-year-old Gordon said, pausing to talk on a lunch-time stroll.

“They say one thing one moment and two days later they contradict what they’ve said. 

“It’s the first time in my long life that I’ve not made my mind up. Even if I do vote in the end, no matter who it goes to it will feel like a waste.“

Even locals who believe it’s worth casting a ballot are having a tough time deciding who to vote for. 

“I’m still thinking,” Anita Humps, 64, told us. She and her 86-year-old mother Irene are out shopping, pushing matching trolleys along in front of them. Anita is tempted by the Lib Dems, who she says ‘seem to be doing the most for the local area and for the elderly and youth’. 

“I’ll tell you what I won’t be voting,” Irene said with a grin. “Conservatives! It was when [Rishi Sunak] wanted the boys to go back to the armed forces – I’ve got grandsons that age – there’s just no way. Why do they want to use our children as cannon fodder?” 

Elsewhere in the constituency, there are areas and communities that are more keen on casting their votes. 

And it’s not just Royton. Voters from across the constituency are having a hard time making up their minds on who to vote for at the election – and whether to bother voting at all. 

In the Arndale Shopping Centre, we spoke to Lynn, a retired dancer from Oldham. She was completely undecided. 

“Usually, I do vote. This year – it’s difficult,” Lynn said. “There’s not a lot between the two parties. 

“I’ve seen such a lot over my life – Labour, Tory, Lib Dems sticking an oar in. And for so many people, not a lot really changes.”

One of the biggest issues for her is housing, especially for young people. Grandmother to three young adults aged 19 to 28, she expressed her worry about what the future will look like for the next generation. 

“There needs to be a much bigger push for housing for young people,” she said. “Tuition fees and lack of housing are really crippling young people. I think it’s sad that people keep appealing to the elderly. We can sort ourselves out.” 

She doesn’t hold much of the smaller parties and independents, who she says can make “wonderful promises” because “they know they won’t ever have to put them into action”. 

But plenty of voters disagree. Muhammed Liqat, who lives in Hathershaw and works in Royton, is confident local independent Zaffar Iqbal is ‘in for a chance’. 

He said: “He’s a solicitor and people in Oldham know him well. He’s dealt with the whole borough. So, 99 per cent of Oldham will vote for him – especially the Asian community.” 

The 60-year-old has voted Labour all his life. “But this time it’s independent because of the Palestine stuff. Labour’s lost Oldham anyway, solely because of what’s happening in Palestine. Labour never stood up for it. Simple as. Neither did Conservatives.” 

And Usman Ali, a 22-year-old perfume seller and aspiring perfume designer in the Arndale Centre, also said he was voting independent in his first ever General Election. 

He said: “I’ve lived in Oldham all my life. I’ve been voting for Independent for a while now [in local elections]. I’ve noticed that Labour hasn’t had much of an impact locally.”

There’s been a strong rise in support for independents across the district. After the recent local elections, more than a quarter of Oldham councillors are independents or part of independent groups, which many attributed to discontent with how mainstream parties were responding both to international and local conflicts. 

But Oldhamer Imelda Brown doesn’t believe that Labour are at much risk of losing their seat in the constituency. 

“Labour will get in,” she said. “I’ve always voted Labour. And my family always voted Labour.” 

The 65-year-old who works for M&S and is shortly before retirement said she likes Keir Starmer’s promise to cut taxes for pensioners. But there’s another promise she’s particularly keen on after a gas bill that morning left her in shock. 

She said: “He also said he was going to get the water and electric back in government hands. So I hope he does that. It’s too much.”

And Imelda is not the only one still backing Labour. Back in Royton in the Cactus Cafe, local business owner Alex, told us she would be voting for Labour. 

“[The current Labour party] is not my favourite,” she said. “But even though I think it’s probably a weaker Labour party than it has been previously, I do think he’s got a better chance of getting in.” 

For Alex, housing is also the biggest issue in the area. The 31-year-old recently had to move out of Royton after it became too expensive, even though she and her partner both run businesses on the high street. Oldham has seen rents spiral at a faster rate than anywhere else in Greater Manchester in recent months.

“There’s a lot of new houses going up in the area but they’re not all affordable,” Alex said. “The rental market is pretty crazy around here as well.”

Asked to summarise what she thought of the Labour party and Keir Starmer, Alex shrugged: “Best of a bad bunch.”