Thursday 21 May 2026 5:52 am
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Wednesday 20 May 2026 11:12 am
LEEDS, ENGLAND - MAY 18: Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, gives a speech during The Great North Investment Summit at the Royal Armouries Museum on May 18, 2026 in Leeds, England. Metro mayors from the North of England are gathering with business leaders to participate in the Great North Investment Summit, chaired by North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, aimed at bringing investment to the region. The summit will launch the Northern Growth Prospectus, an "investment blueprint" highlighting key opportunities for economic growth in the North. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)
Andy Burnham says he wants to “roll back the 80s” but the growth of Manchester is down to the rolling back of socialism that began before he became Mayor, says Ayushma MaharjanBritain’s most popular politician is running on a myth, is not credible, and might out-do Starmer in U-turns.A recent Yougov poll found that Andy Burnham is viewed positively by 34 per cent of Britons. That makes him the only senior politician with a net rating above zero. Provided he wins the Makerfield by-election, he is likely to be our next Prime Minister. His pitch is “Manchesterism”, what he calls “business-friendly socialism”. His economic ideas include rolling back so-called “neoliberalism”, nationalising swathes of the economy and devolving tax-and-spend powers to local authorities. His evidence? Greater Manchester itself. In his first interview after launching the Westminster bid, Burnham told ITV News: “I tried to build something different in Greater Manchester… and look at the results… Greater Manchester today is the fastest growing city region in the UK. I’m so proud of that… I put buses back under public control and made them more affordable to people here…”In all this, Burnham does deserve credit for the Bee Network. The rest of Burnham’s Manchester story is fluff.
