While large parts of the UK economy continue to falter, Manchester is powering ahead, and the world is taking notice. In a recent deep dive, Bloomberg asked a pointed question: is “Booming Andy Burnham’s Manchester” offering a real blueprint for economic revival in Britain? Its conclusion was clear. Yes.
For many Mancunians, that verdict only confirms what they have long believed.
Former Treasury minister Jim O’Neill put it bluntly. “They thought it was just cocky Mancunians talking nonsense,” he said. “But as time goes on and the evidence piles up, people are starting to realise something serious is happening here.”
The numbers back him up. Greater Manchester’s economy has been growing at roughly twice the national average. The region has attracted more foreign direct investment than any UK city outside London, drawing global firms such as IBM, Booking.com, Klarna, Bosch, Roku and Auto Trader.
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Once defined by post-industrial decline, Manchester has reinvented itself as a magnet for young professionals and international business. The city centre population, which stood at just a few hundred in the early 1990s, is now heading towards 100,000. It also retains more graduates than anywhere in England outside the capital.
That confidence is written across the skyline. Since 2017, the number of skyscrapers has increased sevenfold. Neighbourhoods like Ancoats, New Islington and Salford Quays — once dominated by derelict mills and polluted docks — are now packed with homes, independent businesses, cafés and runners along the canals.
Bloomberg traces this success not to a single big moment, but to a 30-year strategy of steady, deliberate change. Culture was treated as an economic driver, not a luxury. Local councils worked together instead of competing. And the city embraced being openly pro-business while remaining politically Labour.
That approach has paid off. “If there was a city I was least hesitant about paying business rates to, it would be Manchester,” said David Fox, founder of the Tampopo restaurant group. “They invest in the city as a place to experience.”
Manchester’s cultural clout has long been central to its survival. From The Smiths and The Stone Roses to Oasis, music gave the city global relevance when factories closed and jobs vanished. Today, culture still does much of the heavy lifting — from nightlife and sport to major events.
This year, Manchester will host the Brit Awards at Co-op Live, the first time the ceremony has ever left London. Football remains a powerful international draw. And quality of life continues to pull people north.
“Skilled people have choices,” said Sir Richard Leese, former council leader. “They choose places that offer a good quality of life.”
Affordability helps. Rent for a one-bedroom flat is around half the cost of many London suburbs. More than half of students stay on after graduating. “That is gold,” said Duncan Ivison, vice-chancellor of the University of Manchester.
The city still faces deep inequality, and growth alone has not solved every problem. But what sets Manchester apart is its ability to tackle challenges locally, with joined-up decisions on housing, transport, education and skills.
For Westminster — and for other UK cities — Manchester is being watched closely. Not because it is flawless, but because it shows what can happen when a city plays the long game, backs its culture, trusts its people and refuses to wait for permission.
As Andy Burnham often puts it: Manchester had a great 19th century, a difficult 20th century, and may now be laying the foundations for a great 21st.
