Manchester was Burnham’s rehearsal – now get ready to pay the bill Opinion Burnham has asked to be judged on Manchester – where his record is more spending, more borrowing and higher taxes, says Gareth Davies Andy Burnham walks into Downing Street with a simple pitch: judge me on Manchester. I am happy to take him up on it. Start with tax. In 2018, Mr Burnham created a [...]
Burnham’s Thatcherism jibes are just tired socialist talking points Opinion Oasis caution against looking back in anger, yet the narrative Manchester’s other favourite son rehearsed in his first speech as Prime Minister was based on hackneyed old grievances, says Alys Denby Here we go again. Britain has gone through as many prime ministers in the last 10 years as it did in the previous 37 [...]
Burnham opens door to wealth tax Tax Andy Burnham has refused to rule out a wealth tax as part of his economic agenda, saying the country needs a “greater sense of fairness”. In his first formal interview since being all but confirmed as the next Prime Minister, the former Manchester mayor warned that decisions on tax were “going to be difficult” and [...]
The Debate: Should Britain set up a No 10 North? July 8, 2026 Is Andy Burnham's vision for a Number 10 North visionary or gimmicky? We hear both sides in this week's Debate.
Labour defends Burnham’s ‘very powerful’ No 10 North plans July 5, 2026 Andy Burnham’s proposed ‘No 10 North’ would lead to a “very powerful reorganisation of government”, deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell has said. Her words come as ministers push ahead with one of the biggest overhauls of English local government in decades before Burnham is expected to enter Downing Street later this month, with Labour arguing [...]
‘Good growth in every postcode’? Not in Greater Manchester July 2, 2026 Greater Manchester’s relative growth success story has not translated into a boom in earnings or income for people in outer boroughs, according to a new report. Oxford Economics research has suggested that “exceptional economic growth” has not translated into higher earnings or income growth around the region. Economists said high levels of inactivity and the [...]
Steve Rigby: Burnham has a chance bring confidence back to British business July 1, 2026 If Andy Burnham focuses on AI, devolution and regional development, he has a chance to turn British stagnation around – and his record in Manchester is cause for cautious optimism, says Steve Rigby The transition to our seventh prime minister in a decade is now well underway. Since 1721, we have had only 58 Prime [...]
Is Andy Burnham a left-wing Liz Truss? June 29, 2026 Say what you like about Andy Burnham (and I intend to say a lot) but he’s not short on ambition. Armed with a single by election victory he now intends to oversee “the biggest change in our lifetime to the way Britain is run.” The PM-in-waiting had popped down to London for some selfies before [...]
Andy Burnham: being all things to all men will end up letting everyone down June 22, 2026 Andy Burnham has made a series of promises he knows he can’t keep. Either that he does not care, so consumed is he with ambition to be Prime Minister, or that he believes he will somehow find a way to make the circle appear squared and satisfy a broad spectrum of opinion. Indifference or mendacity [...]
City investors raise alarm on Burnham’s Chancellor pick June 18, 2026 Andy Burnham’s bid to return to parliament poses a risk to financial markets, City analysts have warned, as his next pick as Chancellor could heavily sway traders’ views. City analysts have said they will be closely watching out for developments on Friday as results from the Makerfield by-election emerge in the early hours of the [...]