Backbenchers Push for Manchester Base in New Industrial Strategy

More than 90 Labour backbench MPs issued a briefing paper this week arguing that the government's reindustrialization plan will fail unless it is managed directly from No 10 North in Manchester.

The group, led by MP Andy MacNae, asserts that the state has lost the technical capacity to plan effectively after decades of deregulation. The paper claims officials are less knowledgeable about the economy and slower to make decisions, creating an inertia that hinders industrial growth.

The MPs are calling for a new Reindustrialisation Act. This legislation would establish specific targets for job creation through rebuilt manufacturing capacity and require ministers to report on their progress against those goals. The group states that without such planning mechanisms, the government cannot achieve its industrial ambitions.

The paper recommends assigning the oversight of this effort to First Secretary Louise Haigh and basing it at the No 10 North outpost. Burnham established that Manchester office in July, and it currently handles some growth policy duties. The group also proposes converting the National Wealth Fund into a Reindustrialisation Development Corporation. This body would focus on providing capital to rebuild UK industry rather than its current role of investing in promising businesses.

MacNae, the MP for Rossendale and Darwen, stated that while he trusts the commitment of Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey, the civil service still views growth policy as focused on cities already performing well. He argued that the strategy must instead deliver jobs to areas that need them most and produce goods that ensure national resilience. He cited the recent nationalization of British Steel as an example of the wide policy areas, from procurement to education, involved in the effort.

Steve Yemm, MP for Mansfield, noted that many countries are currently reindustrializing while Whitehall officials still view industrial policy as dangerous nostalgia. Lorraine Beavers, MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, added that Whitehall does not fix problems unless instructed to do so. The group’s call comes as Healey prepares to deliver his first budget on Wednesday, following his conference speech where he promised a new age of industrialization and good growth in every postcode.