Andy Burnham, the North, and the Question Every Business Owner Is Asking

Well, here we are talking politics….again

And what a week it has been.

With Keir Starmer announcing his resignation, the focus has very quickly shifted to Andy Burnham. At this early stage, it feels less like a leadership race and more like a clear pathway being made for him. Unless something changes dramatically, he appears to be the standout candidate and, realistically, the man most likely to become our next Prime Minister.

Now, I will be honest. I have always liked Andy Burnham.

I have seen him once or twice on stage through local networks in Liverpool and Manchester, and whatever your politics, you cannot deny that he has presence. He can hold a room. He speaks in a way people understand. He feels comfortable in front of an audience and in the media.

That matters.

One of Keir Starmer’s biggest problems, in my opinion, was communication. He never looked fully comfortable. He never quite connected. Whether that is fair or unfair, politics is not just about policy. It is about confidence, clarity and connection. Boris Johnson, love him or loathe him, understood that. He could work a room, work a camera and create a moment, even if he sometimes came across like a complete buffoon while doing it.

Andy Burnham has that ability to connect in a way Starmer never really did. That is a huge advantage before he has even walked through the door.

But then comes the real question.

What is he actually going to do?

Because presence is useful. Communication is important. But business owners, workers, families and communities need more than a good speech. We need a government that understands how the country actually works outside Westminster.

And this is where Burnham could be interesting.

Having spent so much time leading in the North, he does understand the North-South divide in a way many national politicians simply do not. He understands transport, local government, regional investment, local identity and the frustration that comes when decisions affecting your community are made by people miles away who do not always seem to understand the reality on the ground.

If he pushes the devolution agenda properly, that could be a genuinely positive thing.

For businesses and residents, feeling that your region has more control over its own priorities is important. Whether it is transport, planning, local investment, skills, councils or infrastructure, the closer decision-making is to the people it affects, the more likely it is to feel relevant and useful.

There is something powerful about the idea that towns, cities and regions should have more influence over their own futures, rather than constantly waiting for Westminster to decide what matters.

So, on that front, I am interested.

But here is where my concern begins.

As many people know, politically I am naturally more conservative. And what worries me deeply about this Labour government is the same thing that has worried me from the start: the instinct always seems to be tax, tax, tax.

This idea that business owners, higher earners and those who have built something should simply keep paying more and more is dangerous.

Of course everyone should pay tax. Of course there should be fairness. Of course there should be support for those on lower incomes. I have no issue with a sensible threshold where people earning under a certain amount pay little or no tax. That is part of a fair society.

But fairness has to work both ways.

Why should someone earning £60,000 or £80,000 be treated as though they are suddenly wealthy beyond measure? In many cases, those people have worked hard, trained, studied, taken risks, built careers, climbed ladders and taken on responsibility. They are not always living extravagant lives. They are often working extremely hard, supporting families, paying mortgages and already contributing heavily.

Success should not be punished.

And the same applies to entrepreneurs and business owners.

The people who build businesses are not just sitting on piles of cash doing nothing with it. In many cases, that money goes straight back into growth. It goes into refurbishments, wages, training, new sites, new equipment, better products, better guest experiences and more jobs.

Speaking personally, the money generated in our businesses stays here. It is invested in the UK. It is invested in growth, in our venues, in our employees, in our children’s futures and in the communities we operate in.

If I had more money available within the business, I would invest more. I would improve more. I would employ more. I would take more risks.

But when the tax burden becomes too heavy, you stop thinking about growth and start thinking about survival. You become cautious. You delay investment. You hold back on recruitment. You question every spend.

That is not how you create a thriving economy.

Hospitality, in particular, has been hit from every angle. Business rates, wage increases, energy costs, VAT, supplier costs, staffing pressures and customers who are more careful with their money. The industry is resilient, but resilience should not be mistaken for endless capacity to absorb more pressure.

So, Andy, if you do ( I mean when you do) become Prime Minister, this is the big question.

Can you actually help business breathe again?

Because if the answer is no, then sadly we may just end up with a different face on the same problem.

And I do accept that one person cannot change everything overnight. Burnham would still have a party to manage, a Treasury to satisfy, markets to reassure and a public sector that is incredibly difficult to “reform”.

But “reform” is exactly what is needed, and I don’t mean the party.

The public sector in the UK has become, in many areas, slow, stretched and stagnant.

That is not an attack on the many good people working hard within it. There are brilliant people in the NHS, councils, schools, government departments and local services. But the systems themselves are not working properly.

Look at how long it can take to get planning permission. Look at the delays in basic council processes. Look at how hard it can be to get a GP appointment, a dentist appointment, or even something as simple as a blood test.

That is where people lose faith.

It is not always about politics. Sometimes it is about systems that feel too slow, too complicated and too far removed from real life.

And that is where the UK needs a serious reset.

We need to reward success, not resent it. We need to support business, not constantly squeeze it. We need a public sector that works efficiently and a government that understands growth does not come from taxing people until they stop investing.

So yes, I am interested in Andy Burnham.

I think he communicates well. I think he understands the North. I think he has a presence that could help him connect with people across the country. And I do think his devolution agenda could be positive if it is done properly.

But my concern remains the same.

Will he be brave enough to move away from the easy answer of more tax?

Will he understand that business is not the enemy?

Will he realise that growth comes from giving people the confidence to invest, employ and expand?

Because that is what the UK needs now.

Not just another Prime Minister. Not just another political reset. Not just another set of promises.

We need a government that understands that if you want better public services, stronger communities and more opportunities, you have to start by backing the people who create growth in the first place.

So, Andy, if this is your moment, then good luck.

But please understand this.

The North does not just need a louder voice in Westminster. Business does not just need warmer words. Hospitality does not need another speech about how important it is.

We need action.

We need breathing room.

And we need a government that finally understands that you cannot tax your way to growth while asking businesses to carry the country on their backs.