Burnham pledges mass renationalisation as he targets Makerfield byelection

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has committed to a programme of mass renationalisation covering energy, water, housing, and transport should he succeed Keir Starmer as prime minister. Speaking to Channel 4 News, Burnham argued that the privatisation and deindustrialisation of Britain since the 1980s had left communities without good jobs or access to affordable essentials. He positioned the return of these sectors to stronger public control as the central pillar of his policy platform, contrasting it with what he described as a system that prioritises private shareholders over the paying public.

Burnham is seeking to return to Westminster via a byelection in Makerfield, following the decision of sitting MP Josh Simons to step aside. The move comes as the Labour party faces significant internal turmoil following poor performance in recent local elections, which has triggered the resignation of several ministers, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Streeting has publicly criticised Starmer’s leadership as heavy-handed and stifling to policy innovation, while privately advising the prime minister to set out a timetable for his departure.

The Greater Manchester mayor cited his experience with bus franchising in his region as a model for applying public control to other utilities. He noted that Margaret Thatcher deregulated the bus industry, leading to outcomes that served private interests rather than the public. Burnham argued that the principle of returning control to the public, which he applied to buses with fixed fares, should be extended to energy and water sectors, which he claimed the country gave away as a significant mistake.

Downing Street has indicated it will not block Burnham’s attempt to stand as the Labour candidate in Makerfield, distinguishing this situation from previous interventions in the Gorton and Denton byelections. Burnham, who previously represented the neighbouring constituency of Leigh before being elected mayor in 2017, emphasised his personal connection to the area, noting that his children attended local schools and he lives on the edge of the constituency. He rejected the notion of carpet-bagging, stating that he wanted to restore Labour as a party that working-class people could believe in.

If officially selected, Burnham faces a strong challenge from Reform UK, which won nearly 50 per cent of votes in the constituency’s eight council wards in recent local elections. Burnham acknowledged the need for the party to do better, promising to be honest about Labour’s shortcomings during doorsteps. He called for the reindustrialisation of the north-west and a shift in education to include technical pathways alongside university routes, aiming to address the lack of good jobs in the region.