Rotheram, Burnham won their mayoral elections. What next?
After they each secured more than 60% of the vote, Steve Rotheram and Andy Burnham have a clear mandate in Liverpool City Region and Greater Manchester, respectively. So what does this mean for the property industry?
Looking at both their manifestos, Burnham and Rotheram have made clear their ambitions to improve transport infrastructure in their regions, promote active travel, and deliver more sustainable and affordable homes during their third term in office.
- Read more: Election results from across the North West
Here are some of the key campaign pledges from the Greater Manchester Mayor and Liverpool City Region Mayor, as well as a snapshot of how they performed in the election.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham
Election result
Burnham secured 63.4% of the vote, a decrease from the last election in 2021 where he had 67.3%. The 63.4% of the vote figure is virtually the same as his 2017 win. The closest challenger to Burnham this go-round was Conservative Laura Evans, who claimed 10.4% of the vote.
In his acceptance speech, Burnham said: “I am ready to fight harder than I have ever fought for anything before for a Greater Manchester where people can live free from the fear of debt, hunger, and eviction – and where everyone is set up to be a part of the growing success story that is our city region today.”
Manifesto promises
Development
- Continue to support Atom Valley, connecting it to Metrolink network
- To move to establish a Bolton Mayoral Development Corporation similar to that in Stockport
- Support Ashton Mayoral Development Zone
Housing
- Create GM Housing First, a multi-agency unit dedicated to improving housing standards and availability
- Build 10,000 homes before the end of the mayoral term in 2028, with 1,000 in every Greater Manchester borough
- Give all Greater Manchester renters the right to request a property check and expand the resources available at the combined authority to deal with these checks and any subsequent actions that need to be taken
- Create Greater Manchester Good Landlord Charter
Skills
- Introduce Greater Manchester Baccalaureate, aka the Mbacc. This would create a centralised applications system for T levels and other technical qualifications that are attached to a work placement with a named employer. The first list of subjects to be part of the Mbacc is set to be announced later this year.
- Lobby central government for control of funds related to the apprenticeship levy
Transport
- Integrate eight commuter rail lines before the end of his mayoral term in 2028
- Work with Rotheram to establish a Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board to oversee the creation of a publicly operated Liverpool and Manchester Railway
- Expand Metrolink, with Middleton, Heywood, and Stockport being main priorities
- Build business case for a Bolton Metrolink extension
- Add Metrolink stop at Sandhills in North Manchester (this has been in the works since 2018 as part of Manchester City Council and FEC’s Victoria North plans)
- Improve the availability of EV charging
- Resist introducing a charging Clean Air Zone
- Continue developing segregated cycling and walking network across Greater Manchester
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram
Election result
While Burnham’s election result shows a slight waning in excitement, Rotheram’s results show a surge in popularity. In 2017, he had 59.3% of the vote. In 2021, that number shrunk, slightly, to 58.3%.
But this year, Rotheram claimed 68%. His closest competitor, Conservative Jade Marsden, only received 10.2%.
Reflecting on his win, Rotheram said: “It’s a ringing endorsement of what’s happened in the last seven years but also, now a full mandate to go ahead and deliver on the 72-page manifesto that I put to the electorate.
“That means that we want to concentrate on the things that are really important to people, right the way across the Liverpool City Region: more council housing, for instance, better transport links, more opportunities for people, lots more apprenticeships, and of course innovation, and financial investment from central government,” he continued, concluding with a promise to work to make the economy grow year on year.
Manifesto promises
Development/Environment
- Develop a pipeline of Grey Belt sites
- Make a design review panel an intrinsic part of investment strategies
- Make the city region carbon neutral by 2035
- Triple volume of energy from offshore wind by 2032
- Invest £10m in zero carbon refuelling stations by end of the mayoral term
- Develop full business case for Mersey Tidal so that it is shovel-ready by 2028
- Create six urban parks by the end of 2030
- Plant 100,000 trees by the end of 2030, partly by making tree planting a requirement for any developments that receive funds from the combined authority
- Sign a memorandum of understanding with United Utilities within the first 100 days to have a discharge-free Mersey by 2030
- Gather more data on air pollution across the city region
- Consider using digital twins to help with planning
- Introduce an infrastructure levy
- Explore the potential of land value capture
Economy
- Increase foreign direct investment in the city region by 25% by the end of the decade, with the city region as one of the top 10 areas for FDI by 2028
- Create 13,000 jobs and attract 100 new businesses through the Freeport
- Meet quarterly with a Mayoral Business Forum to hear from local businesses
- Launch Business Relocation Taskforce to bring more companies to the city region
Housing
- Explore establishing a housing revenue account or management organisation to create more council homes
- Ensure that the combined authority only funds projects that deliver a minimum of 20% affordable housing
- Create a Good Landlord Charter
- Support legislation for a minimum letterbox height in future homes
- Lobby central government for £500m over five years to retrofit up to 50,000 homes
- Use Stamp Duty receipts to fund a programme of affordable housebuilding in the city region
- Lobby central government for full powers over the Affordable Homes Programme and the housing and funding powers that are currently controlled by Homes England
Skills
- Lobby central government to give the city region authority over apprenticeship levy funds
- Craft a green jobs and skills plan that will enable the upskilling of 65,000 workers by 2035 and create 55,000 new jobs by 2040
- Lobby central government for power to reintroduce Foundation Apprenticeships
- Lobby central government for powers over skills and technical education, in line with Greater Manchester’s Trailblazer deal
Transport
- Open Liverpool Baltic station by 2027
- Rebrand MerseyTravel as Transport for the Liverpool City Region, which will use open data to do reliable live travel updates and have more control over advertising on the network
- Introduce capped and integrated ticketing to the whole TfLCR network by 2028
- Launch Merseyrail in Bloom, where local community groups will work alongside TfLCR and the combined authority to improve the areas around train stations
- Rename the stations and lines to better reflect the area’s culture
- Begin work on developing new stations at Woodchurch on the Wirral, Daresbury in Halton, and Carr Mill in St Helens before 2030
- Accelerate franchising of the bus network to ensure publicly controlled services operate in St Helens in 2026, with the entire network active by end of 2027
- Introduce express services throughout key routes by 2027
- Create a 24/7 bus service by end of 2030
- Reintroduce bus lanes
- Create a bus rapid transit scheme between Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Liverpool city centre, Anfield, and Bramley Moore Stadium by 2028. This would be inspired by the Belfast Glider
- Expand the rail timetable at weekends and evenings by 2028
- Make all rail platforms and stations fully accessible by 2030
- Regenerate the Moorfields station and its area to be a better gateway
- Create a new commercialisation and station density strategy
- Ensure a half-hourly train between Liverpool, Runcorn, and London Euston is in place by end of this year
- Build a new ferry at Cammell Laird in Birkenhead
- Spend £50m to improve cycling and walking infrastructure in the city region by 2028
- Lobby central government for long-term, devolved transport funding
- Work with Burnham to establish a Liverpool-Manchester Railway Board to oversee the creation of a publicly operated Liverpool and Manchester Railway
Great to see lots of transport pledges from Rotheram. We shall see how much of this is delivered.
By Anonymous
I live in liverpool and I could tell you one thing that either mayors in the liverpool have done or add value to the region or city
By Stuart
I wonder how much of Rotherhams policies will be in his manifesto for the next election.
He accusses Sunak of squatting in no 10 the same could be said about him?
By Liverpolitis
I’ve stopped getting the v bus from Worsley, it’s been very unreliable of late
By DH
Burnham cancelled the ulez because it was unpopular, the green party put forward a candidate who was very pro driving, Greater Manchester is car obsessed region
By Anonymous
Nothing changes if nothing changes
By 2024
A business case for extending Metrolink to Bolton? Could someone please enlighten me on why a town of 280.000 people needs a business case to link it to the most successful city in the regions?Surely that is like asking, why Croydon needs trains to Central London?
By Elephant
No wonder the poster is ”anonymous”…there has never been a ULEX proposal for Greater Manchester your crank. This Tory Govt gave Burnham a legal directive to set up a Clean Air Zone (CAZ) – which he eventually through back at them as ‘totally unworkable.’ Get it right. But you arent interested in that, are you?
By Richard Bean
Good luck to Andy with his affordable housing building plan – they really need to engage with the private sector, as the RPs and LAs are too slow and too much red tape.
By John W
If we can not blame “politicians” for our miserable lives, who else can we blame?
By Anonymous
Rotherham’s pledge to create 6 urban parks in his next term is great. Really wish Burnham would commit to something similar for us here I’m manchester. With all this building going on its increasingly important to maximise and celebrate our green spaces
By Bigdav
I’ve got more chance skating around the dark side of the moon on Jelly Fish than Rotherham delivering on any of his Manifesto promises. The city region being carbon neutral by 2035. Mersey barrage spade ready by 2028. The man is deluded. It’s a pity so many people have been poorly misguided and felt the need to re-elect him back into office. Liverpool deserves better. Manchester are lucky. Burnham does deliver.
By Stephen Hart
Would like to see Rotherham deliver on Baltic Station this is crucially important for that part of the city to commute
By Anonymous
In LCR please note less than 25% of people voted, anyway Andy seems to have bigger ideas than Steve such as trams across the whole region while Steve has 3 bendy bus lines only.
Nevertheless Steve has some worthwhile promises but 4-6 years to get 4 rail stations in place is quite poor, Baltic had been promised for 2025 but is now pushed back to 2027. Finally if he can get Moorfields improved including a rail station entrance that exits at ground level rather than at 1st floor level that is a plus.
By Anonymous
@Stuart, Liverpool 10:56pm: Could you tell us that ‘one thing’ then?
By Albert
Burnham….does that mean more increases in our council tax to soothe your overblown ego? You don’t do much for the suburbs! I personally think the position you hold should be binned! A very expensive role that delivers little!
By Manc
Stephen Hart- unfortunately Liverpool deserves nothing as the electorate are like lemmings . You are 1000% correct Rotherham is full of empty promises and hot air . He delivers nothing. Mersey Barrage really ? Basics like the highly necessary Baltic Station, never get a mention yet he will wax lyrical on pie in the sky projects . We will hear nothing from him now that he is re-elected “Support legislation for a minimum letterbox height in future homes ” sums him up. I wish we had Andy Burnham .
By Paul
Hi Paul – in fairness to Rotheram – he has promised to open Liverpool Baltic by 2027 – as listed in his manifesto and in this story. So he has mentioned Baltic Station.
By Julia Hatmaker
@ Albert
Sweet FA
By Anonymous
Andy Burnham is a fantastic asset to Manchester, even if based on marketing along.
Other cities would die for a leader as passionate about their city as he is. And he wasn’t even born there. Says a lot really.
By Anonymous
Andy Burnham is passionate about Andy Burnham. Offered a nice job in the next Labour Govt and he’ll be off like a shot
By Council Tax Payer
On transport, Sheffield, Mcr, Nottingham, Birmingham all have trams and are extending them, Leeds will get a region-wide tram network, but Liverpool City Region nothing tram-wise from Steve Rotheram, he wants his bus lanes back to copy the Belfast Glider. There are massive areas of East and the South Liverpool Region crying out for Merseyrail or a tram, but he just doesn’t get it.
By Anonymous
Steve likes to bolster his Green credentials banging on about his barrage but hardly anyone globally is following this route, Steve needs to do something realistic, improving the transport network ie rail travel and boosting the airport, instead he dithers and fails to even attempt to prise big money and big projects from central government, he could be getting a Labour government in soon so should be shouting out about some realistic but ambitious projects and doing it now, but just walks in the shadow of his friend down the M62.
By Anonymous