Andy Burnham was back around the cabinet table this morning (July 9) as Keir Starmer met with 11 mayors from across the country in Downing Street. The new Prime Minister, who hosted the breakfast meeting alongside his deputy Angela Rayner, told the mayors that they are ‘equal partners’ in Labour’s new government and its plans.
It comes less than a week after Labour’s landslide victory at the general election. Sir Keir told the mayors that meeting with them just days after he was invited to form a government is a ‘real statement of intent’ on his part.
The mayors took a selfie outside No 10 Downing Street after the meeting before they all boarded a bus. They then travelled to the Transport for London (TfL) offices where they met Oldham MP Jim McMahon, who is now a minister.
READ MORE: What Greater Manchester wants from the new Labour government
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News there, Mr Burnham described the breakfast meeting as ‘business like’ with the mayors keen to show they are ready to deliver. Referring to the HS2 saga which saw the Northern leg of the high-speed train line to London cancelled in Manchester last year, he said the meeting signified a big change.
The Greater Manchester mayor said: “What a change from me having to stand outside the conference centre trying to get heard last year when they were scrapping HS2 to being around the cabinet table. Going forward, the Council of the Nations and Regions will ensure that the voice of Greater Manchester is heard when big decisions are made.
“That wasn’t the case in the past. It wasn’t the case in the pandemic and it wasn’t the case with HS2.”
Mr Burnham revealed that the Council of Nations and Regions – a new forum for English mayors and the leaders of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to meet – could hold its first meeting this month. He said the meeting will be held every three months with London mayor Sadiq Khan telling the M.E.N. it should not only be held in the capital.
The Labour Party has promised to give other parts of the country similar devolution powers to Greater Manchester as well as going ‘further and faster’ in areas where these powers already exist. Asked whether this means that Greater Manchester stands still while other regions catch up, Mr Burnham said, “No, never. Not on my watch.”
The Greater Manchester mayor said that he has already written to the Prime Minister setting out what he wants from the new government. He also told Sir Keir about his plans to launch the Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) – an alternative route into work for those who don’t go to university – with more details set to be revealed this week.
Mr Burnham told the M.E.N. that he used the meeting in Downing Street to make the case for building more council housing, fixing the railways and boosting technical education. The Greater Manchester mayor said he hopes the city-region will achieve its plans faster under this government – but he promised to hold his party to its promises.
He spoke about plans to bringing eight commuter railway lines in Greater Manchester into the Bee Network – his new London-style public transport system. He also called for the budget for employment support to be devolved.
However, the Labour mayor said the Prime Minister did not make any commitments in this first meeting. He said: “Today wasn’t really a day for the big play. We were just there to show how much we’re ready to deliver.”
Speaking to the M.E.N. after the meeting, London mayor Sadiq Khan said that Sir Keir treated the mayors as ‘equal partners’, revealing that the Prime Minister used this phrase himself. Mr Khan also revealed that Sir Keir told the mayors that the Council of Nations and Regions meetings will take place across the country, not just in London.
He said: “Keir was quite keen for them to rotate. It’s really important civil servants and members of the cabinet to leave the capital city and that includes me.”
Asked whether the Council of Nations and Regions would become competitive with each leader making requests for more money in their area, he said: “I think all of us instinctively are competitive but we believe in collaboration.
“A good example is in relation to transport. I recognise that I need more investment in London, but I can’t do it without working in collaboration with West Yorkshire. The bus that we travelled from Downing Street to TfL headquarters was a bus built in Scarborough. West Yorkshire is really important for our taxis.
“I was in Derby recently who built the Elizabeth line. We can’t do what we’re doing with transport without collaborating with other parts of the country.
“All of us recognise we rely upon each other to achieve our common goal. We need each other. There’s no member of the cabinet that does not need a respective metro mayor. It’s really important that not just horizontally, but virtually we work closer together. We’ve got to break down those silos.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
