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Burnham Wins Makerfield, Vows “Number 10 North” and Housing Surge.

7/19/2026

36 4 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Andy Burnham pledged the largest post-war council-house building programme.
He also proposed shifting power from Whitehall to regional authorities with a “Number 10 North” in Manchester.
Burnham won the Makerfield by-election with 54.8% of the vote, gaining near-unanimous Labour MP backing.
Unison and Usdaw welcomed his leadership, urging him to turn promises on wages and public services into concrete action.

History

Historical Context

After Labour won the 1945 election, Clement Attlee’s government launched a massive council-house programme that built over one million homes between 1945 and 1951, backed by the 1946 Housing Act and the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act. Today, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham proposes the largest council-house expansion since that post-war era, aiming to reshape regional housing provision.

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Story summary

Andy Burnham pledged the largest post-war council-house building programme.
He also proposed shifting power from Whitehall to regional authorities with a “Number 10 North” in Manchester.
Burnham won the Makerfield by-election with 54.8% of the vote, gaining near-unanimous Labour MP backing.
Unison and Usdaw welcomed his leadership, urging him to turn promises on wages and public services into concrete action.

1 / 2