Manchesterism
Political ideology of the incumbent British Prime Minister
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Manchesterism, or Burnhamism,[1] is the political philosophy and the policy agenda followed by British Prime Minister and Labour Party leader Andy Burnham during his tenure as mayor of Greater Manchester from 2017 to 2026.[2]
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Burnham has characterised Manchesterism as "the end of neo-liberalism",[3] "business-friendly socialism"[4] and "a modern and functional response to the high-inequality, low-growth trap that came from the 1980s drive to privatise economic power and overcentralise political power in the Treasury".[5] In a speech to the Centre for Cities, Burnham described it as a perspective that aimed to combine economic development with social benefits, with policies designed to explicitly channel the proceeds of growth towards communities, rejecting trickle-down economics.[3][6] Examples of such policies he cited included re-establishing public control of buses through the creation of the Bee Network, and the Good Growth Fund, which provided £1 billion for three projects in each of Greater Manchester's boroughs. He stressed that such initiatives were only possible due to devolution, countering historical trends of political centralisation, and he also advocated for increased devolution of fiscal powers.[6]
Background and development
Greater Manchester's experience with devolution since the early 2010s, including the formation of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, provided the context for these policies. Burnham's mayoralty built on earlier regeneration efforts under figures like Richard Leese and Howard Bernstein. Manchesterism has been presented as a model for balancing growth with equity, with stronger employment and economic performance in the city-region relative to national averages in certain periods.[7][8]
Burnham has also argued that the cost-of-living crisis of the 2020s has roots in Thatcherism, suggesting that the deregulation and privatisation of the 1980s led to increases in the costs of essential goods, noting the effects of Right to Buy on an unregulated rental sector resulting in increasing state expenditure on Housing Benefit. He contends that such problems were exacerbated by government austerity and Brexit.[5] Manchesterism has also been characterised as embodying collaboration and partnership working between stakeholders, including cooperation between government, business and trade unions, different public services, community groups, and administrations of different political complexions among Greater Manchester's borough councils.[9][10]
The Guardian cited the Labour Mainstream group as a proponent of Manchesterism.[11]
Reception
Commentators have noted its pragmatic, place-first character. Writing for the Financial Times in May 2026, Stephen Bush argued that Burnham's record as mayor of Greater Manchester had been to the right of the Starmer ministry but the policy offer he was making as a prospective Labour Party leader was more to the left; he suggested that this may be due to the institutional constraints on and weaknesses of the metro mayor role.[12] In a January 2026 piece for the London Review of Books, Michael Chessum compared Manchesterism's emphasis on moving away from neoliberalism to the approaches to governance advocated by the socialist parties of Spain and Portugal.[13] Upon Burnham's return to Parliament following the Makerfield by-election, Manchesterism became more subject to discussion about it becoming a new mode of governing, particularly as it pertains to devolution, public service reforms, and regional economic strategy.[14][15]
Senior reporter at Manchester Evening News Stephen Topping remarked "there's a horrifically overused phrase about our city and how it 'does things differently'.", in reference to the quote about Manchester commonly attributed to Tony Wilson. He continued, "It was repeated, for the umpteenth time, at a speech for the Institute of Fiscal Studies back in January. This time, mayor Andy Burnham was the culprit".[16] In light of Burnham's promise to adhere to Chancellor Rachel Reeves' fiscal rules,[17] Cameron Bailie for The Canary questioned the extent of Manchesterism's departure from neoliberalism, asking "Can you really challenge neoliberalism while simultaneously reassuring bond markets, protecting fiscal rules, and refusing to confront financiers?".[18]