- June 23, 2026
‘Manchesterification, Manchesterism’: Where Andy Burnham Stands On Immigration, Brexit, London & Other Issues
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Andy Burnham wins Makerfield by-election, returns to Westminster, promotes Manchesterism and business-friendly socialism, backs tight immigration and NHS social care reform
British MP Andy Burnham greets supporters after his election in the Makerfield constituency, Wigan, UK. (Image Courtesy: Oli Scarff/AFP)
Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election on June 19, and returned to Westminster after serving for nearly a decade as Greater Manchester mayor; instantly becoming the frontrunner to succeed Keir Starmer as Labour leader and, eventually, prime minister.
He is back with a model he calls ‘Manchesterism’ and is a self-description that he is quite happy to own: ‘business-friendly socialism.’ as Reuters reported.
We call it ‘Manchesterification’. This, is what it actually means in practice.
Devolution: Give Cities The Money, Not Just The Title
Burnham’s central argument is that Britain’s economy is broken because London controls too much of it, pointing to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) data that shows Britain as amongst the most financially centralised countries in the developed world, and says that the gap between London and everywhere else has widened as a direct result.
His answer is devolving hard economic levers, specifically control over housing, utilities, transport, and education, to communities. He cites Greater Manchester’s Bee Network, an integrated public transport system, as the working proof of concept.
The argument is that Manchester did this with constrained powers; imagine, he says, what it and the other suburbs, towns, and counties in the UK could do with full fiscal authority.
Tax & Spending: Fiscally Conservative On Paper, Ambitious Underneath
Burnham has committed to Labour’s existing fiscal rules, including balancing day-to-day spending against revenues by 2029-30, and to the 2024 manifesto promise not to raise rates on income tax, employee National Insurance, or VAT.
He has also committed to the triple lock on state pensions, the policy that raises payments annually in line with inflation, earnings growth, or 2.5%, whichever is higher. The Treasury cost of that commitment runs into billions of pounds per year.
He has also pulled back from two earlier positions, i.e. compensation for the Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) women affected by the rise in state pension age from 60 to 65, and cuts to student loan repayments.
On utilities, Burnham wants greater state control but has stopped short of full renationalisation, except in the case of Thames Water, where he said he could see a case for public ownership.
Kallum Pickering, chief economist at investment bank Peel Hunt, said his national economic credibility is “untested” and that it remains unclear whether his regional model would translate to national policy.
Immigration: Tighter Borders, With Room For Those Already Here
Burnham backs interior minister Shabana Mahmood’s recent tightening of both legal and illegal immigration routes. On Channel crossings, he said he would consider tougher deterrents while arguing that safe legal routes for refugees must exist alongside them.
Where he has signalled a departure from Shabana, is on people already inside the country and stuck in the immigration backlog. Burnham said those left ‘in limbo’ by the system should be able to work, which would soften at least some of the current restrictions.
Brexit
Burnham campaigned to stay in the European Union in the 2016 referendum. In 2018, during Brexit negotiations, he backed a second vote. Last year, he said he wanted to see Britain rejoin the EU in his lifetime.
When he launched his Makerfield campaign, he, surprisingly changed tack. “I’m not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU.” “I respect the decision that was made at the referendum,” he said.
Health & Social Care: The NHS Pressure Release Valve
Burnham was health minister under Gordon Brown from 2009 to 2010. He said social care reform would be a priority, framing it as the way to reduce pressure on the NHS.
He told the Guardian he would look at whether inheritance tax changes could help fund a fix to the sector, though he did not commit to a specific model.
About the Author
Anoshito Banerjee is a digital journalist at CNN-News18, specialising in Indian foreign policy, global diplomacy, South and West Asian geopolitics, and strategic affairs. His reporting spans hard news…Read More
London, United Kingdom (UK)
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