Author Archives: Mark Hunter

Andy Burnham – new messiah or naughty boy?

By Mark Hunter | Fri 17th July 2026 - 7:19 pm

I worked with Andy Burnham as a member of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority for three years, so am perhaps uniquely placed to offer a personal perspective on what his super-charged run for No.10 means for us Liberal Democrats. As leader of Stockport Council 2022-2025, I was one of ten council leaders (nine Labour and me!) who formed Burnham’s cabinet and met regularly under his chairmanship, arguably putting me in a good position to judge what makes him tick.

The first thing to understand is that he is a skilled and collegiate operator with an easy, friendly manner on a one-to-one basis. Burnham is not a tribal politician in the traditional sense, and I was often able to joke with him that he and I had a more positive relationship than the one he enjoyed with his many Labour Party colleagues in Greater Manchester. It’s also true that we were friendly when we both previously served in Westminster, football banter often the subject of conversation in the tearoom queue.

However, underneath Andy’s benign exterior is a steely and ambitious politician who it would be unwise to underestimate. His tact and diplomacy, often deployed to full effect, can be impressive at close quarters. He is also backed by a capable and experienced team of close advisors who will serve him well as he makes his bid for power. It was always clear to many of us that he missed being at the heart of government. Therefore, it was no great surprise when he began manoeuvring to return to the House of Commons.

It would be fair to say that here in Stockport we enjoyed a mostly positive relationship with him during his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester. For example, our multi-million-pound town centre regeneration scheme was largely driven by the creation of the first Mayoral Development Corporation in the whole of Greater Manchester which couldn’t have happened without his patronage. While this did provide a unique advantage in attracting interest from developers and investors, a bi-partisan approach was also considered a key element of our success in transforming the town centre. The results are clear, with Stockport now attracting national recognition for its achievements.

Posted in Op-eds | 5 Comments

Help grow the debate and beat the Conservatives at the same time!

By Mark Hunter | Thu 14th January 2021 - 5:48 pm

If the last week has shown us anything, it’s that 2021 could be stranger and potentially more worrying than 2020.

The anti-democratic attack on the US Capitol Building was an awful thing to witness. Four deaths, countless injuries and more news coming out that suggest things could have been a lot worse.

In the UK, the mishandling of the pandemic has cost lives and livelihoods. Depending on which figures you read, nearly 100,000 people have died from COVID-19 or because of it. Economists point to an impending double-dip recession, and across the country trust in the Government and its institutions is quickly eroding.

A strong, liberal voice has never been more needed.

It is vital that the Liberal Democrats keep growing both as a campaigning force and as a home for progressive ideas and policies.

Which is why I am delighted to have joined The Shirley Williams Lectures this week.

This is an exciting membership and fundraising organisation that will champion new ideas for how we meet the challenges being faced by the UK and the planet.

What’s even better is that all money raised in subscriptions goes towards winning the North West’s top target seat – Cheadle!