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,”
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“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.”
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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.
Appeal for information after serious bus-cyclist collision on Deansgate
Daisy Jackson
Police have launched an appeal for information following a serious road traffic collision on Deansgate, which has left a cyclist in critical condition.
Yesterday afternoon reports were made of a crash between a cyclist and a bus on the busy street in Manchester city centre.
The cyclist, who is a man in his 80s, has suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash, and remains in hospital in critical condition.
The crash took place on the junction of Bridge Street and Deansgate at around 12.30pm on Monday 2 November.
A large cordon was in place and Deansgate closed for several hours yesterday.
Police officers are now appealing for any witnesses who may have seen the moments leading up to this incident, or may have mobile phone or dashcam footage, to come forward.
No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information can contact police on 0161 856 4741 quoting the log number 1510 of 02.11.26. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Greater Manchester emergency services issue urgent safety warning ahead of Bonfire Night
Emily Sergeant
An urgent safety warning has been issued by emergency services ahead of Bonfire Night this week.
With Bonfire Night only a few days away now, and fireworks already starting to be let off across the region, Greater Manchester’s emergency services have, once again, come together to launch a campaign urging communities to be safe, and warn against attacking emergency service workers or taking part in anti-social behaviour.
Led by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS), in partnership with Greater Manchester Police (GMP), Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), and the region’s 10 local Councils, the Bang Out Of Order campaign highlights the consequences of anti-social behaviour.
Last year, incidents of anti-social behaviour relating to nuisance from fireworks rose by 2% – with 1,020 cases recorded, while attacks on firefighters also sadly increased.
An urgent safety warning has been issued by emergency services ahead of Bonfire Night / Credit: DESIGNECOLOGIST (via Unsplash)
935 fires were also started deliberately between 1 September and 10 November last year, while 767 hoax calls were made to the police and fire service within the same time period.
GMFRS has now issued an urgent safety warning.
Matt Hamer, Director for Community Safety and Training, said: “The Bonfire Night period is one of the busiest times of the year for our emergency services, and we want everyone to enjoy the celebrations safely and responsibly.
“We strongly encourage people to attend organised firework displays and bonfire events wherever possible. If you are planning your own celebrations, it is essential that you follow the Firework Code and take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and those around you.
“Deliberately setting fires, misusing fireworks or attacking emergency service workers is completely unacceptable and can have serious consequences. Our firefighters are there to protect communities and should never face abuse, violence or intimidation while carrying out their duties.
Georgina Pellant -
2nd November 2021 
