Press & Policy

*First published in The Herald (22/07/2026)

In the unlikely event Andy Burnham has found himself any free time since becoming Prime Minister, he might have turned to one of his favourite albums as he pondered the road ahead.

The music-loving Makerfield MP has said he is particularly fond of the self-titled 1989 debut by the Stone Roses, which contains a number of tracks that sound suitably appropriate for a political leader in his circumstances.

We can imagine how he might have reflected on landing the top job during “This Is the One”, or whether poll ratings crossed his mind from the opening chords of “I Wanna Be Adored”.

The Stone Roses and the new Prime Minister share something in common, of course, beyond Mr Burnham’s enjoyment of the music.

They have both become synonymous with a city. The same city, in fact – Manchester.

While one was closely associated with the “Madchester” music scene, the new Prime Minister is now set on pioneering his “Manchesterism” ideology from Downing Street, or “Number 10 North”.

The proposed extension of the Prime Minister’s office to Manchester, 200 miles north of Westminster, has been one of the most headline-grabbing announcements from Sir Keir Starmer’s successor to date.

It is a snappy, easily understood way of showing his intent on governing in the interests of the entire country, not just London and the south-east.

The move – and his recent speeches – have also underlined his plan to draw on lessons learned during his nine years as Mayor of Greater Manchester, applying them across the country.

Precisely what this Manchesterism will entail remains to be seen, but speculation has focused on an expansion of devolution, greater public control of transport services and working more closely with business to spread the proceeds of wealth.

Or, in other words, what he has described as “business-friendly socialism”.

Whether or not this is an appealing prospect will depend on an individual’s politics.

However, it is, at least, a starting point for a vision of what this refreshed UK Government will stand for and aim to deliver.

After all, one of the most common criticisms of Sir Keir Starmer’s administration has been the absence of such an overarching strategy and narrative.

Mr Burnham and his team will know they still have much work to do to flesh out the detail of Manchesterism as a doctrine.

Not least among these details is how it will all apply to Scotland, some 150 miles further north.

In a recent article, the incoming Prime Minister insisted it would, arguing Number 10 North would “be the conduit through which we redistribute power and resources across the UK”, making “power flow into places like Glasgow, Aberdeen, Dundee, Paisley and Easterhouse”.

In the same article, however, Mr Burnham focused on services already devolved to the Scottish Parliament, including transport, housing, utilities, business rates, skills and education.

Other aspects, such as commitments around “reindustrialisation”, were equally unclear, and the Scottish Government is already seeking clarification of what exactly is being proposed.

Too often, UK-wide policy announcements are made before their interaction with Scotland’s devolved responsibilities have been fully explained.

It would be disappointing if “Manchesterism” turns out to be another initiative whose implications for Scotland were considered only after the headline announcement. A political ideology named after a specific English city perhaps made sense during a by-election campaign, but may prove less productive in the pursuit of nationwide buy-in.

While political events in Manchester and London can appear distant from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, we know they matter to our members.

Scotland’s economy has been stuttering for too long, partly due to international events, but often not helped by policies pursued by both of our governments.

In the case of Westminster, we need look no further than hikes to National Insurance contributions, which sent labour costs soaring at a time when businesses were already struggling to cope with higher prices for energy and materials.

The UK Government’s approach to the North Sea oil and gas industry has been another recent example of UK Government decisions putting jobs and investment at risk in Scotland.

With the arrival of a new Prime Minister there is now an opportunity to reset relationships and improve business confidence on both sides of the border.

Giving Mr Burnham the benefit of the doubt in his first week in office, I am happy to state that the Scottish Chambers of Commerce will work constructively with the UK Government on any proposals that seek to strengthen investment, business confidence and competitiveness in Scotland.

Our Plan for Growth sets out clearly the need to benchmark all economic interventions against their ability to achieve these priorities, and Manchesterism will be no different as its detail emerges.

Despite recent missteps in UK economic policy, other measures have been welcomed by Scotland’s businesses in recent years.

City Region Deals, for example, have brought billions of pounds of investment in a range of infrastructure and economic development projects, based on regional priorities.

They also involved a level of partnership working between the UK and Scottish governments that most businesses would wish to see more regularly. Similar targeted interventions were pursued through the creation of Green Freeports, where tax and customs rules are relaxed to boost specific sectors.

As some growth deals move beyond their first decade, Mr Burnham’s Government should consider how future place-based investment can respond more effectively to regional economic priorities.

This would be welcome. After all, the challenge of uneven economic opportunity is not confined to England; it is also visible across Scotland’s communities.

Mr Burnham has also highlighted housing in his Scotland-focussed comments over recent weeks. If he has mechanisms in mind that can unblock the provision of new housing north of the border, this blueprint will be eagerly anticipated.

The same goes for his intentions around reindustrialisation and energy. In the case of the latter, early action on the North Sea windfall tax, as well as the approval of the development of the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields, would represent an encouraging start.

Manchesterism may ultimately prove a useful framework for moving power and investment away from the centre. But Scotland’s businesses will judge the new Government by the clarity of its proposals, the quality of its engagement, and whether its interventions support jobs, investment and competitiveness across every part of the country.

Only time – and significantly more detail – will tell whether, in the words of the Stone Roses, Manchesterism is “Made of Stone”.