At the heart of Burnham\u2019s plans for power lies Manchesterism, a political philosophy that centres on giving cities and towns outside London more political control. It\u2019s about devolution, rooted in a sense of place, and culture. Burnham has also described it as \u201cbusiness-friendly socialism<\/a>\u201d. <\/p>\n In this episode of The Conversation Weekly<\/a> podcast, we explore how running Greater Manchester shaped Andy Burnham\u2019s politics with researchers Kirsty Fairclough and Philip Brown. They assess what Burnham achieved as mayor and discuss whether a philosophy designed around one city can work on a national level for the UK. <\/p>\n Brown, who interviewed Burnham for The Conversation in 2017<\/a>, says that England is one of the most centralised countries in the world. \u201cAlmost everything like tax, housing, transport, health, they\u2019re all controlled from the centre, from Westminster,\u201d says Brown, a professor of housing and communities at the University of Huddersfield. <\/p>\n In the aftermath of the Brexit referendum, Burnham pointed to hyper-centralisation as a root cause of England\u2019s problems. Nearly a decade on, Brown says Burnham\u2019s views on devolution have \u201chardened into a fully formed political philosophy for him\u201d. <\/p>\n This episode is part of a series exploring how the northern English city of Manchester has played a critical role in the development of Andy Burnham\u2019s political and social outlook. The series considers what has been dubbed Manchesterism<\/a> might mean for the future of the UK.<\/em><\/p>\n Fairclough, a professor of screen studies at Manchester Metropolitan University and expert on Manchester\u2019s culture, thinks that as mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham understood that culture was an essential part of the city and its identity. \u201cPeople don\u2019t simply vote based on economic indicators, they want to feel part of and proud of the place that they call home,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n If Burnham does carry that philosophy on into national politics, she says \u201cthen I think Manchesterism becomes less about Manchester itself and about recognising that culture is fundamental infrastructure. It\u2019s not the icing on the cake once everything else has been paid for.\u201d<\/p>\n Listen to Fairclough and Brown on The Conversation Weekly<\/a> podcast.<\/em> <\/p>\n This episode of The Conversation Weekly was written and produced by Gemma Ware and Mend Mariwany. Mixing by Michelle Macklem and theme music by Neeta Sarl.<\/em><\/p>\n Newsclips in this episode from Sky News<\/a>, BBC News<\/a>, Guardian News<\/a> and Channel 4 News<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Listen to The Conversation Weekly via any of the apps listed above, download it directly via our RSS feed<\/a> or find out how else to listen here<\/a>. A transcript of this episode is available via the Apple Podcasts or Spotify apps.<\/em><\/p>\n Kirsty Fairclough is a member of the Greater Manchester Music Commission, set up by Andy Burnham. Philip Brown does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Three months ago, Andy Burnham\u2019s desk was filled with the business of running Greater Manchester. Buses. Housing. Policing. This mayoral region in the north of England is home to 3 million people and Burnham, a former minister in the Labour governments of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, has been its mayor for nearly a decade. 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