Can Burnham turn ‘Manchesterism’ into a practical offer for government?

Key points

• Manchesterism is “the end of neoliberalism”.
• That was the claim made by Andy Burnham in his campaign launch video this week – a film which made an audacious offer not just to his byelection constituents in Makerfield, but how he intended to change national politics and the economy.
• But the 2026 doctrine of Manchesterism is very different to its 19th-century namesake, when it was a byword for free trade.
• Now in the hands of the mayor of Greater Manchester, it means the national rollout of what he has achieved in the city – essential assets brought into greater public control such as the bus network, a closer partnership between the state and business to spread the proceeds of wealth, and a huge expansion of devolution.
• However, the task of turning Manchesterism into a practical offer in government – potentially in a matter of weeks – is immense.