Andy Burnham Discusses Public Control of Services During Labour Leadership Campaign

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has outlined plans for greater public control of several sectors while campaigning to become the Labour MP for Makerfield. At recent hustings events, Burnham listed energy, housing, water and transport as areas where public oversight should increase.

The comments follow the government's decision to bring the Southern rail franchise into public ownership. The first train in national red, white and blue livery is scheduled to enter service within one week, fulfilling a 2024 Labour manifesto pledge to create Great British Railways.

Burnham has pointed to Manchester's Bee Network as an example of integrated public transport. The system caps bus fares at £2 and coordinates services with the local tram network. He has suggested applying similar regulatory principles to energy and water.

Lord Jim O'Neill, a former Treasury minister, said the Bee Network has improved local commuting. O'Neill noted that intra-city transport improvements may have contributed to faster economic growth in Greater Manchester.

Mathew Lawrence, founder of the think tank Common Wealth, described public control as ranging from tighter regulation to full ownership of natural monopolies. Lawrence is preparing an essay for Mainstream, a Labour-linked group connected to Burnham.

The water industry has drawn particular attention because of Thames Water's financial difficulties. A 2025 Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs estimate placed the cost of nationalising the water sector at £100 billion. An earlier Institute for Fiscal Studies analysis from 2019 calculated that broader public ownership could add at least £150 billion in debt before shareholder compensation.

Burnham has not specified funding sources or exact ownership structures for the sectors he mentioned.