Humanity Hallows Issue 6 Out Now
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By Katie Calvert

Labour’s Greater Manchester Mayoral Candidate Andy Burnham has promised to support students and young people in Greater Manchester. Speaking at an event with Labour’s business development board in Manchester, he said he had a commitment to putting young people first, with plans to introduce free bus travel for 16-18 year olds as well as a UCAS style apprenticeship system.

Burnham said, “Devolution wasn’t conceived as a response to Brexit, but now it has to be.” Indeed, he believes that, by creating a more integrated younger generation, Greater Manchester can “begin to rise to the challenge of Brexit.”

Humanity Hallows asked the candidate how he plans to attract students to the area and retain them in the region after graduation. He said, “Part of the deal would be that Manchester has a graduate retention plan. So that when people are thinking about their choices in terms of their UCAS form, maybe they would think ‘oh well, in Manchester you get a bit extra help after graduation so maybe that’s a good place to be.’”

Burnham believes that the region needs to give potential students positive reasons to come here: “The NHS is going to face work force shortages after Brexit and I’m looking at an idea where, if people, after graduating in nursing or midwifery or medicine, want to commit to the Greater Manchester NHS we may then help to repay their loan.”

Burnham also wants to “build more desirable, high-density housing outside of the city centre, but with quick links to it,” because he believes that “the best way to breathe new life into an area is to bring young people into those places.”

He added, “It’s these kinds of ideas that I think might set Greater Manchester apart from the rest of the country. We begin to attract the brightest and the best from all over the country to come here, to commit to being here and I think that’s a great way in which we can really put ourselves in a strong position.”

The Guardian recently produced a report on ‘epidemic levels’ of sexual harassment in universities. With that in mind, we asked Burnham if he thought enough was being done to protect students on campus. Having previously met with students to discuss these issues, he was adamant something needed to be done: “We need to work hard to replicate what Bury have done, which is to have purple flag status.” Purple flag towns and cities have shown that they offer a safe, vibrant and appealing positive experience to customers and visitors, offering safe ways to travel home.

During the meeting, which was also attended by Secretary of State for Exiting the EU Keir Starmer, Burnham said that Greater Manchester was “on the verge of a great era,” and that, if elected as mayor, he could “fully unlock the potential for devolution.”

Asked to sum up why young people and students should vote for him, he said, “Because I believe Manchester and Greater Manchester’s future is as a young city. I’ve put you at the heart of my manifesto. And I’m going to use all of my cabinet and political experience to drive that manifesto and so this’ll be a great place for young people to be.”

The candidates for Greater Manchester Mayor are…

Sean Anstee, Conservative,

Mohammad Aslam, Independent

Jane Brophy, Liberal Democrat

Marcus Farmer, Independent

Stephen Morris, English Democrat

Shneur Odze, UKIP

Will Patterson, Green