Here we are again, with the body politic latching on to another -ism that lacks definition yet carries allure for those of us desperate to see devolution and real localism really spring into life. I say this as a Mancunian now resident in the Scottish Borders, so perhaps you can forgive my instinctive pleasure at the notion of Manchesterism.

When, as Andy Burnham pointed out in his gently jocular manner, even the Mayor of Liverpool was applauding when he said “This is Manchesterism” when setting out his first policy platform, you know that something is happening.

Pleasure at the notion of Manchesterism is one thing, but what does it mean in reality? At the very least, Andy Burnham has managed to kickstart a fresh debate on devolution, and it gives Liberal Democrats the chance to sharpen our ideas and contribute to the debate.

Here in Scotland, the reaction of the SNP was predictable in its puerility. Publishing a badly drawn map pointing out where Burnham’s No10 North will be located and reminding us how much British land mass lies even further to the North isn’t particularly helpful or mature, but it’s nothing more than we expected from the performative and superficial Scottish Nationalists.

There are, however, fundamental questions to consider about the nature of devolution and local control alongside the geography and demography of the United Kingdom.

Yes, Burnham will not have control over the response of the Scottish Government to his agenda, but he is influencing a necessary debate.

When it comes to local government, Scotland is one of the thinnest governed and most centralised nations in Europe. With 32 unitary councils covering 5.5 million people, most councils (especially the large rural ones) cover large areas which makes governance often remote and badly connected to real local needs. Even here in the Scottish Borders, our council covers a population of 120,000 and is seen as remote and unresponsive by many residents. Coupled with a network of Community Councils that have no funding base or any real powers, and as a consequence lack any real democratic accountability as they struggle to find volunteer councillors, we struggle on with totally inadequate local government, deeply controlled by a centralising SNP in Holyrood who starve councils of funding.  It is an unsatisfactory situation, desperately in need of reform.

Contrast this with Denmark, which has a two-tier system of regional authorities with municipalities that cover a uniform population of around 55,000 and a funding model which generates local income taxes and relies on Government support for only around a quarter of expenditure.

There are plenty of other comparisons that could be made, and while it can be risky to compare, the underlying weaknesses in the Scottish system of local government remain tied to the size and remoteness of our councils and the lack of genuine local control of funding, strategy and local economic development and regeneration. Government agencies (in particular the enterprise agencies) overlay local councils and while they claim to work in partnership, they themselves are remote and unaccountable bodies.

Can the debate that Andy Burnham has sparked about the future of devolution prompt the Scottish Government into a constructive response? I suspect not given the childish response we have seen so far.

It is therefore left to the Liberal Democrats to revive the case for federalism, combined with fundamental reform of local government to foster local control and accountability, and unlock the energy and talent that is waiting in our communities for this opportunity.

Looking at my own locality, my gentle provocation would be to suggest that revival of the traditional Scottish counties as municipalities more in line with the Danish local model might be a good starting place. Berwickshire, Roxburghshire and Selkirkshire councils existed over time for good reason, and those natural community boundaries still make local and geographical sense – and crucially, they can work for our rural communities.

But then, I would say that as a Mancunian that still regrets the 1974 Local Government Reorganisation that took Manchester out of Lancashire!

If all that Andy Burnham has done is spark a fresh debate here, that is surely positive. We need fresh thinking on how to balance the desire for deeper local control and accountability with the need for efficiency in delivery of services that may be better delivered in partnerships or groupings across regions. What we don’t need is a new layer of centralised Mayoral controls that do little to deliver genuinely local control, so we must stay wary and not get too dazzled by the glossy and jocular Northern spin.

This could be an interesting ride in the coming years – I feel a new FOCUS headline coming soon: “BRING BACK BERWICKSHIRE COUNCIL”!

* Ray Georgeson contested the 2026 Holyrood election in Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire and the 2024 General Election in Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk for the Scottish Liberal Democrats. He is a former Leader of Otley Town Council in West Yorkshire.