Andy Burnham has urged the new Prime Minister to commit early and “move really quickly” on the Northern Powerhouse.
Following on from the Labour party and Sir Keir Starmer‘s historic landslide victory at the 2024 General Election last week, bringing to an end 14 years of Conservative rule, Andy Burnham has called on the new Prime Minister to show his commitment to the North by delivering on the Northern Powerhouse scheme “really quickly”.
The Greater Manchester Mayor said during a BBC interview this past weekend that he believed Labour‘s election win could lead to a “great era for the English cities and regions”.
One of the ways the Labour Mayor, and former Labour MP for Leigh from 2001 to 2017, highlighted that the new Labour Government could usher in this “great era” would be to look pick up where the Tories left off on the proposal for an extra rail line between Liverpool and Manchester – which was formerly announced back in May to improve the region’s economy and connections.
Andy Burnham has urged Keir Starmer to ‘move really quickly’ on the Northern Powerhouse / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Rory Arnold / Number 10 (via Flickr)
Rail journeys between the two North West cities currently vary between 40 minutes and an hour, but the new proposed ‘Northern Powerhouse Rail’ link would look to reduce this to 10-15 minutes, so travellers can simply “turn up and go”.
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“Deliver what the Tories said they would do, but never did,” Mr Burnham urged the new Prime Minister during his interview with Laura Kuenssberg.
Speaking on the former BBC Political Correspondant’s current Sunday programme, Mr Burnham told Ms Kuessberg that he feels if the Prime Minister and his new Cabinet of ministers were to commit early to the Northern Powerhouse, then this could work to “lay the foundations for a second Labour term.
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“I will say to Keir… commit early to the Northern Powerhouse”
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham says the government should back his plan for how to build a new Manchester-Liverpool railway and that he wants to work with them to build more homes#BBCLauraKhttps://t.co/4UbQQl3ahnpic.twitter.com/PIabfH0t5J
He added: “If people in the North of England see change come through in a Parliament, they will stick with this Government for the long haul”.
The Greater Manchester Mayor described the new Government as a “really exciting moment”.
“We now have the chance, after lots of turbulence in recent times, to have a serious Government focused on growth and delivery, without all of the psychodramas of the past Tory years,” Mr Burnham concluded.
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As well as calling for a commitment to delivering the Northern Powerhouse rail link, Mr Burnham also declared during his BBC interview that he wants to work with the new Labour Government to build 1.5 million new homes in Greater Manchester.
He also discussed the need to address rising poverty across the North West region.
Featured Image – Sky News
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Man jailed following series of ‘violent’ knife attacks in Wigan town centre last summer
Emily Sergeant
A man has been sentenced this week following a series of ‘violent’ knife attacks in Wigan town centre last summer.
Charles McMurray, of Satchel Close in Wigan, appeared at Bolton Crown Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of Section 18 wounding with intent, threatening a person with a bladed article, and threats to kill following a distressing incident in Wigan town centre last summer.
The court heard that McMurray arrived on Wallgate at around 6:33am on 9 August 2025 before entering a taxi office, where he stabbed two men without warning.
The victims fled, and McMurray pursued them towards the town centre.
McMurray then went on to threaten a passer‑by at Wigan bus station and held a knife to the man’s stomach. A short time later, he located the injured victims on Standishgate and assaulted one of them again. Following that assault, he chased after another member of the public with the knife shouting that he was going to kill him.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) officers arrived shortly after 6:50am and found McMurray in possession of the knife, before he was subsequently quickly arrested at the scene.
McMurray has now been sentenced to nine years and nine months behind bars, which police say is a ‘testament to the brave victims’ who gave their accounts.
Speaking following McMurray’s sentencing this week, Detective Constable Harris from Wigan CID, who led the investigation, said: “This was an entirely unprovoked attack which left multiple victims requiring hospital treatment. McMurray is a dangerous and violent offender who is now safely behind bars.
“Knives have no place on our streets, and we hope today’s sentence shows just how seriously we take knife crime. Our communities should feel safe where they live and work, and we are committed to tackling knife crime to ensure no family has to face their loved ones being harmed.
“It is a testament to the brave victims who not only endured this attack but had the courage to provide detailed accounts together with the impact this has had on them, that we have been able to ensure McMurray has been brought to justice.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Family pay tribute to father-of-two killed in Rochdale plane crash
Daisy Jackson
The family of a man killed in a light aircraft crash in Rochdale have paid tribute to a ‘deeply loving father and devoted husband’.
36-year-old Arian Abbasi was one of two men killed when an aircraft crashed into farmland in Littleborough in Rochdale last week, after travelling from Birmingham.
Emergency services rushed to the scene shortly after 11am on Tuesday 3 February, but sadly pronounced both men dead at the scene.
It’s believed there was no one else on board the aircraft, and there were no reported injuries on the ground.
Now, Arian’s family have issued a moving tribute to him. He was a pilot from Harrow in Greater London.
They described him as being a ‘deeply loving’ family man, whose passion was flying.
He was about to embark on a new chapter with a commercial airline in just a few weeks’ time.
His family said: “He lived his life for his family and friends, giving them his constant love, strength, and support.
“Flying was his passion, and he was on the brink of beginning an exciting new chapter with a commercial airline on 23 February; a dream he had worked toward with immense pride and determination.”
GMP investigations are now focused on finding part of the parachute system which contains propellant and hasn’t yet been located.
Finding the device has been ‘very difficult’ due to the nature of the terrain and the wide area over which it may have travelled.
It measures approximately 10 cm in diameter and 30 cm long and has a red anodised finish. It weighs less than 2 kg. It may have a silver metal collar attached at one end.
GMP said: “Please do not handle the device if you see it. If discovered, contact the police immediately via 101 or our Live Chat at gmp.police.uk, quoting log 1056 of 03/02/26.”
Emily Sergeant -
9th July 2024 
