The list of issues that Andy Burnham has to deal with is long: high energy prices, a weakening economy, migration, European policy, security policy. And then there is the pressure from the right, where the Reform UK party has enjoyed success.
But to understand what drives Burnham in all of this, how he wants to be more successful than his predecessor Keir Starmer, it helps to look at a book he published in 2024 with the mayor of Liverpool, Steve Rotheram.
Ditch between north and south
The two begin with the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. At that time, 96 football fans died after a mass panic at the Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield during a cup game between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest. The family members had to fight for a long time to at least make it clear who was to blame for the tragedy. In retrospect, Hillsborough became an event that, from the authors' point of view, illustrated the arrogance of those in power, where authorities and the media covered up information, where politics failed.
Burnham and Rotheram conclude in the book: Not every life in the UK seems to be worth the same. Rather, the way those responsible deal with the tragedy represents the deep divide between the north of the country and distant London in the south. Overcoming this has become a kind of leitmotif for Burnham.
Victim prejudged
Jenni Hicks was at the stadium with her husband and two daughters at the time. She sat at the top of the stands, the daughters and father had standing room - where the panic broke out. She could watch everything closely from above. Today she calmly describes what she felt at the time: It was a scary moment. "It was as if time stood still. You're in this vacuum of uncertainty."
It takes her hours to find out where her husband is and where the children are. But it is a terrible certainty that she has to experience. The two daughters are dead. Father Trevor Hicks remembers the hours after the disaster - the police questioning. He noticed a hostile atmosphere.
They were asked ten times whether they had been drinking. That was the image of the investigators at the time and also of politicians: drunk fans who trampled each other. Hicks speaks of a coordinated cover-up of what happened: that the police made bad decisions, allowing more and more fans to pour into a narrow area.
An initial investigation report ultimately concluded that the disaster was an accident. Lawsuits against the police command were dismissed.
“Justice for the 96”
On the 20th anniversary in 2009, Burnham spoke at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool. He was Minister for Culture and Sport at the time and gave a speech like politicians give on such occasions, but then something happened: The more than 35,000 fans started chanting "Justice for the 96". Burnham pauses and nods; film footage from back then shows him visibly moved.
In the days that followed, he launched another investigation with then Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Documents were released and it was ultimately determined that the police had made poor decisions that led to the crowding and thus the disaster.
More power for the regions
As soon as he became prime minister, Burnham opened a "second government headquarters" in Manchester called "No 10 North" - a reference to the famous address of the government headquarters in London. In interviews he made it clear that he was striving for greater financial independence for the regions.
Up to now, local administrations have had to apply to Westminster for investment projects, the government then approves projects and gives the money - or not. But Burnham believes that more ownership is good for growth. Local people would know better what the economy needs and which projects are important.
The example of Liverpool
Liverpool is an example of this. The city already has a budget for investments. Tim Games is responsible for investment promotion in the city administration. He has a budget of two billion pounds. "With the participation of our citizens, for example, with companies and universities, we have a good sense of the economic situation and investment opportunities." This is more targeted than projects planned in the capital London.
This is one of the reasons why the US company Kyndryl has opened a large branch in Liverpool. The company specializes in artificial intelligence. In an interview, Ismail Amla, Senior Vice President, explains that Kyndryl has settled here because of the network between universities and the city with the company. One project is about improving healthcare and using autonomous AI systems in the British NHS. In addition, customers from all over the world also come to Kyndryl in Liverpool.
How the financial independence of many other regions in the UK can now be improved is still an open question. There is also the question of how the project should be financed. Great Britain is suffering from increased interest rates on government bonds. Economic growth could be stronger, but important income for the state and therefore also for the regions is missing. At the end of October, Finance Minister John Healey will present the government's budget - he will not have any more money to spend than previous governments.
