Labour backbenchers demand statutory mandate for Manchester industrial HQ

A group of more than 90 Labour backbench MPs is demanding that Andy Burnham pass a Reindustrialisation Act to force the UK government to rebuild manufacturing from Manchester. The briefing paper, seen by The Guardian, argues that the current administrative structure is too slow and poorly informed to execute the prime minister's pledge of good growth in every postcode.

The MPs propose that the new legislation would set specific job creation targets for rebuilding manufacturing capacity. It would also hold ministers accountable for meeting those goals. The group warns that decades of deindustrialisation have left the state with reduced capacity and a lack of detailed knowledge about industry.

The paper urges Burnham to place oversight of the effort under First Secretary Louise Haigh and base it at No 10 North. Burnham established the Manchester outpost in July, and it already handles some growth policy. The group further recommends converting the National Wealth Fund into a Reindustrialisation Development Corporation. This body would focus specifically on providing capital to rebuild domestic industry.

Andy MacNae, MP for Rossendale and Darwen and chair of the group, expressed confidence in the commitment of Burnham and Chancellor John Healey. He identified a persistent inertia in the civil service and economic orthodoxy that treats growth policy as primarily about cities that are already successful. MacNae stated that the focus must shift to delivering jobs to places that need them most and producing goods that provide national resilience.

Steve Yemm, MP for Mansfield, noted that other nations are actively reindustrialising while officials in Whitehall still view industrial policy with skepticism. He described this attitude as dangerous nostalgia and called for full prime ministerial backing to challenge it. Lorraine Beavers, MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, shared a similar caution, stating that Whitehall does not fix a problem unless it is explicitly told to.

The push for a statutory framework comes as the government prepares for the first budget under Healey, scheduled for Wednesday. Healey used his speech at Labour’s conference last month to promise a new age of industrialisation. Labour’s industrial strategy, published during Keir Starmer’s tenure, identified eight sectors for growth, including advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and defence. Healey emphasized that the party aims to grow the economy with good work and good jobs.