Will the Budget pass Burnham's Makerfield test?

On a wet Tuesday in October, Platt Bridge Community Centre, near Wigan, is alive with the music of Shania Twain. About 30 women and one man are line dancing to her hit Man! I Feel Like a Woman! The class is so popular that the centre has recently introduced an extra session to meet demand.

The community centre is in the heart of Andy Burnham's constituency, Makerfield, and they know all about budgeting here. It is run entirely by volunteers and has recently had to raise thousands of pounds for a new roof.

Norman Smith is one of the trustees. He says running the centre comes with tremendous financial challenges.

"It's a very old building, and sometimes the trustees feel like they're trying to keep all the plates spinning, it's very hard at times."

As well as line dancing, the centre is home to Wigan table tennis club. It also offers a food bank and a warm space.

Smith says the centre is an essential part of the Platt Bridge community.

"No one gets paid for working here. We have around 500 people using the centre. Financially it couldn't run without the volunteers."

Platt Bridge is one of the most deprived parts of Wigan.

When Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election, he said the constituency would not be a "stepping stone" to No 10, although he went on to become prime minister.

Instead, he said he wanted it to be a "touchstone", with every government policy or announcement having to meet a "Makerfield test". If it works there, it will work for other communities like it.

In his victory speech in June, Burnham said: "A Makerfield test at the heart of British politics will make sure that the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness."

John Healey's first Budget will be a real test of that.

Will people in Ashton feel they have more or less money when they do their weekly shop? Will a small business in Abram have more confidence to expand and take on more staff?

Zoe Billingham, from the think tank IPPR North, says the Budget will be a "balancing act" between the pressures people are facing from the rising cost of living and the economic headwinds caused by events such as the war in Iran.

She says it will be a "really important budget to show who they [the government] stand for".

She wants to know who will be asked to shoulder those economic pressures and who will receive support?

"The Makerfield test is a really valuable way of making sure that the economy works in service of ordinary people," she says.

Nicha Rowson, 35, says she believes the Platt Bridge community is "being heard" under Burnham's stewardship.

She says that when residents speak to their local MP and councillors, they are "taking in our voices".

She believes that if politicians listen to what residents are saying, Makerfield could become "this amazing place".

Taking a rest from line dancing, Karen Jones, 67, from Ashton-in-Makerfield, says she will be watching the Budget on Wednesday with interest.

"I want to see what they can do for people," she says.

She wants the chancellor to look at helping people keep more of their money.

"People are struggling to earn a decent living and then they're taxed quite a lot on it, there should be a little bit more relief for them, I think."

The Budget coincides with Andy Burnham's first 100 days in office.

The steps he and the chancellor take on Wednesday could determine how well the next 100 days are received.