Lord Michael Heseltine, the Conservative grandee credited with transforming Liverpool's fortunes in the 1980s, has endorsed incoming Prime Minister Andy Burnham's plan to restructure the country's power networks. In an exclusive interview with the ECHO, Heseltine praised Burnham's vision for devolving power from Westminster to the regions, calling it a 'very important structural change' in how the UK is governed.
Heseltine's Liverpool Legacy
Heseltine, a former deputy Prime Minister, is a rare Conservative figure welcomed in Liverpool, where the Tories have not held a council seat since 1998. After the 1981 Toxteth riots, he walked the streets and spearheaded regeneration projects, including the transformation of the Albert Dock and the Garden Festival site. 'I spent 18 months with a team of secondees from the public and private sector actually showing people that initiatives begun in Liverpool could work,' he said.
Support for Burnham's Devo Agenda
Heseltine credited with convincing David Cameron to adopt directly-elected mayors, a role Burnham took up in Greater Manchester in 2017. 'I listened to Andy Burnham's speech and there were many things about it that echoed what I've been saying for years,' Heseltine said. 'Westminster centralises power in London... it is the machinery of government and the centralisation of it that is the cause of the concern.'
Burnham's Manchester-ism
Burnham's plan includes establishing a branch of 10 Downing Street in Manchester. Heseltine backed the idea, saying it would 'grip the Whitehall machine and coordinate it.' He added, 'He called it Manchester-ism, I called it Liverpool-ism.' Heseltine believes being a metro mayor is a good training ground for Prime Minister, as it immerses one in how local economies work.
Warning to Burnham
Despite his support, Heseltine warned Burnham to resist pressure from party extremists. 'The most damaging thing that the present government has done is the high taxation on wealth creation,' he said. 'He's got a big majority. He's got to persuade them that he's doing a good job. But, much more importantly, he's got to persuade the country he's doing a good job.'
Sympathy for Starmer
Heseltine also expressed sympathy for outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who inherited challenges including Brexit, Ukraine, and tensions with President Trump. 'I actually feel very sorry for Starmer in some ways... Being Prime Minister is not for the faint-hearted,' he said.
