At our lunch event with Fieldfisher yesterday the MIDAS managing director Joe Manning explained how Manchester’s global brand, the ability to project cultural power was absolutely integral to its success.
So it was that as Andy Burnham wrapped up the media interviews at Stockport’s Stockroom, after his major speech on the economy, people were visibly rocked as news flew around the room that Gary Mounfield had died.
The bassline from Stone Roses Fool’s Gold, amongst the many, many incredible sounds he created, feels like it’s part of the very rhythm of the city. But Mani also represented a hard working, good humoured, big hearted approach to life, doing so much for cancer charities with his late wife Imelda, which is probably why my Instagram has been full of such warm tributes from far and wide.
That particular tragedy bookended a week that started with the sad news that Mark Fuller, another great bloke in his early sixties, had left us too. Mark was a huge help to me in my early career in the North West, and as the tributes made clear, his generosity and intellect was respected and valued by many.
Andy Burnham’s speech yesterday saw the Mayor back on form, unwilling to be drawn on the Westminster circus, and fully focused on pushing the devolution ambitions ever further.
The build up to next week’s Budget has been a shambles. The expectations are low.
But Burnham not only warned that more dithering on rail investment would be an “intentional anti-growth policy,” and he demanded we stop having to beg for scraps.
“After a decade of doing more for ourselves than they ever did for us, you would think the system would stop behaving as if it knows best?” he said.
He’s right. The begging bowl culture has harmed the North over the last thirty years. The broken promises and shallow gimmicks have made fools of us.
