Burnham's northern boom might help him to No 10

As Starmer struggles, Greater Manchester's popular mayor is presiding over an economic success story. But could he work his magic in Westminster? Sonia Sodha takes a closer look...

- Sonia Sodha

Labour marked its first anniversary in government with its most difficult week yet: a spectacular U-turn on welfare cuts and a chancellor struggling to hold back tears in the Commons, all capped off with Keir Starmer's approval ratings sinking to an alltime low. However well Starmer does on foreign policy, on the home front, he continues to flounder. Little wonder then that, even amidst all the pomp and deal-making coming from a state visit from the French president, the party’s MPs are in a low mood.

Compare this to the decidedly upbeat atmosphere to be found 160 miles away in Manchester, which is experiencing the kind of economic boom that has proved elusive to Westminster and Whitehall. Greater Manchester has enjoyed the highest productivity growth of any British region in the last two decades — far outperforming London - and under mayor Andy Burnham’s leadership, Manchester has taken back control of the local bus network, improving reliability and passenger numbers.

Last week, a survey of 10,000 people saw Manchester being crowned as the “most desirable place to live in the UK”, positioning it as a key rival to London. Almost half of those surveyed believed Manchester should now replace London as the capital. And with the Oasis sellout tour reminding everyone of the sound of the city, one person surveyed remarked: “Everybody’s moving back to Manchester. The youngsters love it.”

The turnaround of fortunes for the northern powerhouse can be traced to a number of factors, from investment, renewed transport systems and devolution - with many crediting “King of the North” Burnham for having a Midas touch. If it sometimes seems as though Starmer can do no right, Greater Manchester’s mayor is riding high, prompting the inevitable question: has the northern king morphed into Starmer’s prince across the water?