Author Archives: Sarah Olney

The much-vaunted “Manchesterism” of our new Prime Minister is starting to take its national shape, with his early policy pledges and the appointment of his Cabinet. It’s a relentless focus on the cost of living – cuts to VAT on energy bills and a £2 cap on bus fares – paired with a jaunty wardrobe and a flair for social media. Burnham wants the public to see him as somehow more ‘real’ and more ‘in touch’ than his aloof predecessor.

But Burnham’s diagnosis of the ills of the nation – and the action needed to address them – amounts to a great deal more than just improving how the government communicates. His early statements include some fairly significant repudiations of not just the outgoing Starmer administration, but a great many of its predecessors. He specifically talks about the “wrong turn” of the 1980s.

His statements point to a very particular view of history – that the deindustrialisation of the 1980s, together with the centralisation of political power, undermined working class communities to such an extent that they have not recovered. The Burnham protocol references ‘reindustrialisation’ and ‘devolution’ as the answer for these communities. It’s a strikingly retrogressive view. Our pop culture Prime Minister would probably enjoy a Doctor Who comparison – he’s a Time Lord, travelling back to the 1980s to right a historic wrong and save the country from the Evil Neoliberals! – but being compared to a sci-fi fantasy isn’t perhaps as complimentary about Burnham as he would like.

But it is also a statement about geography. The implication is that the Cities of London and Westminster have jointly wreaked this damage on the rest of the country – specifically northern cities and towns – and that it is time for a reversal. I’m not the only Londoner who worries about what the Burnham view of the British economy and society mean for our city.

I know that many LDV readers will struggle to find much sympathy for privileged metropolitan snowflakes, weepingly forgoing their matcha lattes and gochujang popcorn to help fund a £2 bus fare cap that Londoners won’t even benefit from (because our bus fares are already only £1.75!). Many will share the Burnham diagnosis of the impact of Thatcherism on the UK’s social fabric and every good Liberal Democrat will welcome the warm words about devolution. As the party’s Business spokesperson, I’m enthusiastic about the prospect of growing our manufacturing base, especially for the career opportunities it would offer to our young people. Although we also need to see much more support for small and high street businesses, with policies that will boost employment, such as reversing the Employers’ NI increases, introduced by the now ex-Chancellor, Rachel Reeves.