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Andy Burnham says northern England could ‘lead the next industrial revolution’
Championing green industrialisation, Andy Burnham said the climate emergency and drive to net zero "could be the way to level up the country".
As global leaders meet in Glasgow to discuss the future of the planet, Andy Burnham is currently trending on Twitter after saying that northern England could “lead the next industrial revolution”.
Burnham made the statement over the weekend in a piece for The Mirror, in which he argued that he wants to “ensure climate justice goes hand in hand with social justice”.
He also pledged for Greater Manchester to try and reach net zero by 2038 – 12 years ahead of the government target of 2050.
Now he’s doubled down on those statements in a TV interview filmed with Sky’s Kay Burley, in which he said that COP26 “is the route to a lower cost of living for people”.
He explained, “if we retrofit people’s homes their energy bills can come right down and be more stable,”
“We won’t get there without upfront costs […] but the thing is you can reduce the lifetime costs by putting in that upfront investment.
“So if you invest in an electric car it’s’ cheaper to run than a petrol or diesel car”.
He added that it was necessary that the government put in the upfront investment, but that that would, in turn, set northern leaders up to “hopefully reduce the cost of living for people”.
“I don’t think that message is getting over at the moment.”
“The drive to net-zero could be the way to level up the country, it could be the route to better public transport, better homes for people, jobs for people, doing all of that work on people’s homes, but I still feel we haven’t quite as a country got our message lined up properly on this.”
He also told the presenter he didn’t think anyone is doing enough right now, before going on to say that “there’s a danger of [COP26] looking like a lot of entitled, wealthy people have come to lecture everybody about their lives.”
Agreeing, Burley interrupted to add, “They have […] they think, posh people, telling us what to do and I can’t afford to feed the kids.”
Burnham also managed to slip in a mention of his new bus proposals for the Greater Manchester region, which would see the introduction of new £1.50 ‘hopper’ fares.
These, he claimed, would give people a “real reason” to leave the car at home.
Featured Image – World Economic Forum via Flickr
News
Police appeal to find next of kin after man found outside Palace Theatre
Daisy Jackson
Police are trying to track down the family of a man who died after being found unresponsive outside the Palace Theatre in Manchester.
The man, who has now been named as Jonathan Bernard Carroll, was seen outside the city centre theatre at around 6.30am on Tuesday 12 November.
Emergency services rushed to the scene and Mr Carroll was taken to hospital.
Tragically, the 47-year-old passed away a short time later.
A large cordon was in place on Whitworth Street and Oxford Road while police and security attended the incident.
Greater Manchester Police are now appealing to find his next of kin.
It’s believed that he resided in the Salford area of Greater Manchester.
Anyone with any information should contact the Coroner’s Office on 0161 856 1376.
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Featured image: The Manc Group
News
Greater Manchester public urged to help get people ‘off the streets and on their feet’ before Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Locals are being urged to help get hundreds of people “off the streets and back on their feet” this festive season.
As the temperatures told colder by the day, and Christmas creeps closer and closer, Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity is bringing back ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’, and the massively-important initiative is aiming to provide 1,000 nights of accommodation to people at risk of homelessness before the big day arrives.
Forming part of the ongoing ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme, this festive fundraising mission is designed to provide food, shelter, warmth, and dedicated vital wrap-around support for those who need it most.
The charity says it wants to build on the “incredible success of 2023”, which raised more than £55,000 and provided 1,800 nights of accommodation.
Stockport-based property finance specialists, Together – which has supported the campaign for the last two years – has, once again, generously pledged to match every public donation for the first £20,000 raised.
Unfamiliar with the ‘A Bed Every Night’ scheme? Since 2017, when rough sleeping peaked, the initiative has helped ensure a significantly-higher rate of reduction in the numbers of people facing a night on streets in Greater Manchester than seen nationally.
The landmark scheme has given people the chance to rebuild their lives, while also giving them access to key services and opportunities that allows them to stay off the streets for good.
Despite the scheme’s recent success, organisations across Greater Manchester are under “a huge amount of pressure” to meet the demand for their services this winter, and given the current economic outlook, household budgets will continue to be squeezed – leaving people on the sharp end of inequality and poverty.
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“Help us be a lifeline to organisations on the frontline,” Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity urged in it’s public appeal for donations.
You can help make sure ‘A Bed Every Night’ is a reality for all by donating here.
Featured Image – EthelRedThePetrolHead (via Flickr)
Georgina Pellant -
2nd November 2021 
