Andy Burnham, the only declared candidate for the Labour leadership, is known as the 'King of the North'. But his political philosophy, 'Manchesterism', is both celebrated and criticised. So what exactly is Manchesterism, and what does Burnham's record tell us about how he might run the country?
Burnham is the Labour MP for Makerfield and the former Mayor of Greater Manchester. He is running to succeed Keir Starmer as Labour leader. His approach, dubbed Manchesterism, focuses on re-centring the North in British political life and breaking with the economic orthodoxy of Westminster. In January he wrote that the 'four horsemen of Britain's apocalypse are deindustrialisation, privatisation, austerity and Brexit'. As mayor, his flagship achievement is the Bee Network of publicly owned buses, a symbol of steady, imperfect progress.
“Explains Andy Burnham's political philosophy, his mayoral record, and controversies over immigration and Chinese investment.”
Background: Burnham lost the 2015 Labour leadership contest to Jeremy Corbyn, then became Mayor of Greater Manchester in 2017. His mayoralty has been defined by a push for devolution and public ownership. But his record is not without controversy. On immigration, he has publicly backed Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's plans to scrap permanent refugee status, a move that goes further than any Conservative government. Critics on the left say he engages with immigration on Nigel Farage's terms. Meanwhile, his city's development boom has been fuelled by secretive Chinese investment. The New Vic development and projects at Dantzic Street involve Chinese firms such as Far Eastern Consortium and Beijing Construction Engineering Group. The local council keeps details of funding secret. One failed developer, Pinnacle, left Hong Kong buyers short of £31 million, though no charges were ever laid.
Why it matters for UK readers: Burnham is a frontrunner to become Labour leader and potentially prime minister. His policies on immigration, public ownership, and Chinese investment would affect the whole country. His Manchesterism offers an alternative to Starmer's approach, but also raises questions about the role of foreign money and border control.
Q: What is Manchesterism? A broad political approach combining Northern devolution, public ownership (like the Bee Network buses), and a break with austerity and Brexit-era economics. It aims to revive the North's industrial heartlands.
Q: What is Burnham's stance on immigration? He has backed plans to scrap permanent refugee status, a hardline position that has worried some on the left. He is reportedly planning to keep Shabana Mahmood as Home Secretary.
Q: How is Chinese money involved in Manchester? Many new developments in Manchester are funded by Chinese companies, often with the local council keeping financial details secret. The Pinnacle scandal saw Hong Kong buyers lose millions when a developer collapsed, but no charges were brought.
What happens next: Burnham is the only declared candidate so far, but other Labour figures may enter the race. The Labour Party will hold a leadership election in the coming months. The result will shape the future direction of British politics.