Circular Online explores what ‘Manchesterism’ is and how Andy Burnham’s potential policy agenda as PM could impact the resources and waste sector.
Keir Starmer’s resignation means the UK is going to see its seventh Prime Minister in a decade, and it’s no secret that the next occupant of 10 Downing Street is almost certainly going to be the new MP for Makerfield, Andy Burnham.
Despite unsuccessfully challenging for the Labour leadership twice previously, Burnham established himself as the king across the M25 during his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester.
The idea of Manchesterism emerged during his time as Mayor and revolves around decentralising power from London and putting it in the hands of local authorities and regional mayors.
In an agenda-setting speech this week, Burnham explained: “While national government has got bigger, particularly since the pandemic, local government is threadbare and without the resources to fulfil even statutory responsibilities.”
“This is not just bad for councils in the areas they serve; it is bad for everywhere.”
At a time when councils are under acute financial pressure, this is likely to be welcome news – depending on the details. It also means that the resource and waste sector could play an unexpectedly large role in the early months of Burnham’s premiership.
The scale of organised waste crime and the long-delayed Circular Economy Growth Plan, as well as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the UK’s Deposit Return Schemes (DRS), have all brought mainstream attention to the sector this year.
How Burnham chooses to address these challenges will have a massive impact on the industry and households across the UK. Fortunately, his time as Mayor of Greater Manchester gives us a unique insight into what his policies related to the sector could be.
In the role, Burnham led the largest waste disposal authority in the country, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), handling 4% of the UK’s municipal waste.
So what does his time in charge tell us?
What can the GMCA’s work tell us?
GMCA handles around 1.03 million tonnes of waste and recycling each year from over a million households in the metropolitan districts of Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, and Trafford.
Greater Manchester achieved a 50.9% recycling rate in 2024/2025 – the national average in England was 44% – and the landfill diversion rate was 99.5% in 2024/2025.
In 2022, the GMCA published a Sustainable Consumption Plan (SCP) setting out how Greater Manchester businesses and residents can reduce waste and create a more circular economy.
Circular economy principles have played a key role in one of Greater Manchester’s biggest success stories in recent years: the Renew Hub in Trafford Park.
Launched in 2021, the Renew Hub is the UK’s largest reuse and repair facility and is run by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK in partnership with the GMCA and nine local councils.
The Renew Hub aims to provide affordable goods to residents, fund grassroots projects to reduce waste and promote sustainability, and offer training in repair and green skills to support employability and inclusion.
Any household items donated at the 20 household waste recycling centres in the area are transported to the Renew Hub for repair and upcycling before being resold to the public.
Between 2024-25, the Renew Hub accounted for almost three-quarters (73%) of all social value generated by GMCA and its supply chain.
In a sign of how much he values the authority’s work, Burnham is set to appoint GMCA CEO Caroline Simpson as his deputy chief of staff and oversee devolution policies from No 10 North.
This is a key appointment that could signal how he approaches the role of Prime Minister. However, questions remain over one of his biggest appointments: who will be the next Chancellor?
Ed Miliband and net zero reindustrialisation
Not many politicians have published a blueprint outlining their policy platform, but in Head North, Andy Burnham, alongside Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram, set out their ten-point plan to fix Britain.
Some policies are expected, such as full devolution and a senate of nations and regions; however, one that stands out is: ‘Net Zero to Reindustrialise the North’.
At a time when the consensus on climate change has broken and the term ‘net zero’ has become a political football, it’s not a guarantee that Burnham will stick with this commitment to net zero.
But there are clear signs that Burnham will not abandon his previous support for a net-zero transition, even if he chooses to frame the policy decisions around reindustrialisation and highlights the economic opportunities instead of the environmental benefits.
While he has pushed back against media speculation, Burnham is widely expected to appoint the current Ed Miliband as Chancellor.
The current Energy Security and Net Zero secretary has long been a champion of renewable energy and is perceived to have pushed green policies around the cabinet table.
For the recycling and waste sector, the government’s legally binding commitment to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 has given investors confidence to back circular economy projects. Local authorities have factored it into their procurement and waste collection strategies.
In his speech earlier this week, Burnham said his plan for government would include strategic state intervention in key industries and promised to favour UK businesses in procurement. This could give a big boost to a variety of sectors, but especially local authorities across the UK.
While he chose not to focus on environmental policies, pointedly not mentioning the term ‘net zero’, the potential for the state to stimulate green growth is clear.
Despite being framed as a cost or a constraint on the economy by its opponents, the UK’s net zero economy generates around £105 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) and supports 1.1m full-time equivalent jobs.
According to the research from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), for every £1 of economic value created directly by net zero firms, a further £1.85 is generated across the wider UK economy through supply chains and household spending. The research also found that net zero is one of the UK’s ‘most productive and geographically distributed industrial sectors’.
For a PM in waiting who wants ‘good growth in every British postcode’, the appeal is clear. This could be a clear sign that the circular economy, recycling, and waste may play a bigger role in Burnham’s premiership than many people expect.