90 Labour MPs want reindustrialisation led from Manchester

More than 90 Labour backbench MPs issued a warning on Sunday that Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s industrial plan will fail unless it is managed directly from No 10 North in Manchester. The group believes the current government approach lacks the necessary structure to reverse decades of deindustrialisation.

The MPs released a briefing paper arguing that the state has lost the detailed knowledge required to rebuild the economy effectively. The document states that government bodies have become less knowledgeable about businesses and are too slow to make decisions. It describes a worrying set of behaviours within the state that will inhibit the reindustrialisation process.

The group wants Burnham to pass a Reindustrialisation Act. This legislation would set clear targets for creating jobs by rebuilding manufacturing capacity. It would also hold ministers accountable for meeting those specific goals. The MPs argue that without a formal plan, the government cannot achieve its industrial goals.

The paper urges the Prime Minister to give oversight of the effort to First Secretary Louise Haigh. It recommends basing this new responsibility at No 10 North, the Manchester outpost Burnham established in July. The group also proposes turning the National Wealth Fund into a Reindustrialisation Development Corporation. This body would focus on providing capital to rebuild UK industry.

Andy MacNae, the MP for Rossendale and Darwen and chair of the group, said he believes in Burnham’s commitment. However, he noted a kind of inertia within the civil service that still views growth policy as being about cities that are already successful. He said reindustrialisation must deliver jobs to places that need them most and build the goods that provide national resilience.

Steve Yemm, MP for Mansfield, said other countries are already reindustrialising. He warned that many in Whitehall still treat industrial policy as dangerous nostalgia. Lorraine Beavers, MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood, added that Whitehall rarely fixes a problem unless it is explicitly told to. The government’s industrial strategy, published under Keir Starmer, identified eight growth sectors including advanced manufacturing, clean energy and defence.