‘If you’re not sure whether or not Keir Starmer’s plan will work – look North’

This week was all about the tale of two manifestos – and it revealed everything about the choice the country now faces in this election.

One was launched at a racetrack and is full of dangerous manoeuvres. The other was unveiled at the home of the Co-op and, in keeping with the spirit of that fine organisation, has got people at its heart and contains a careful but credible plan to turn things around.

I was proud to host Keir Starmer and his team in Manchester and believe our city was the perfect launchpad for Labour’s plan to get the UK’s economy growing again. Over the last decade, Greater Manchester has pioneered a new way of running things.

We have used powers and funding devolved from Westminster to get building. At one point a few years ago, we had more cranes on our city’s skyline than anywhere else in the world.

Today, the place I had to leave in the early 1990s because I couldn’t find a job is totally transformed. Thousands of new jobs have been brought into our city and we are the fastest-growing digital and tech hub in Europe.

The good news is it’s not just the city centre being turned around but some of the proud towns around it. Right now, thousands of homes are being built in the centre of Stockport, linked to a new transport interchange. This is because you can’t get a growing economy without good public transport.

We recently became the first city-region in England to put buses back under public control after 40 years of Tory deregulation. When Thatcher forced cities like ours to hand over running to private operators in the 1980s, it caused profound damage to our economy. Routes were cut, fares went up and it became harder to get around.

Finally, we are putting it right. In early 2025, our Bee Network will become the first London-style public transport system outside of the capital to go fully live.

And what is the end result of all the change local Labour leaders have brought? An economy that has been growing faster than the UK’s for a number of years – and is predicted to continue to do so. We are proud to be a real Labour growth story.

And here’s the great thing about the party’s new manifesto: it is promising the same devolution of powers and funding to all parts of England so they can go on the same journey. If we can do it, I see no reason why everywhere else can’t.

This week, I lost count of the number of clever-clogs commentators who questioned whether Sir Keir’s plan would actually work. My answer is simple. Take your heads out of your London bubble and look properly at what is happening in Greater Manchester.