Andy Burnham and the New Manchesterism

Andy Burnham took office as Britain’s prime minister this week promising to apply the economic program he calls Manchesterism, which he developed in its namesake city while serving as mayor for the past nine years. But Manchesterism is a term with a long history—one that in many ways represents the opposite of what Burnham claims for it today. What exactly was the original 19th-century Manchester school of economics? How did the city of Manchester develop over the 20th century? And how has Burnham given Manchesterism new meaning today? Those are just a few of the questions that came up in my recent conversation with FP economics columnist Adam Tooze on the podcast we co-host, Ones and Tooze. What follows is an excerpt, edited for length and clarity. For the full conversation, look for Ones