Manchester has recorded the biggest fall in inner-city deprivation in Britain, according to a new report, providing a significant boost to Andy Burnham as he campaigns for the Labour leadership. The Greater Manchester mayor has placed the city's economic revival at the heart of his bid to replace Keir Starmer, describing 'Manchesterism' as a political philosophy advocating a more interventionist approach to the economy.
Centre for Cities Report Highlights Manchester's Progress
The Centre for Cities thinktank found that between 2010 and 2025, Manchester experienced a 17-percentage-point decline in deprivation rates for neighbourhoods close to its city centre. This was the largest fall among the 63 UK towns and cities analysed. The report used the indices of multiple deprivation for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, which measure employment, education, health, crime and other factors.
Nationally, the share of inner-city neighbourhoods in the 20% most deprived areas fell by seven percentage points, from 38% to 31%. London and Liverpool also made significant contributions to this decline.
Deprivation Definition and Scope
The 'inner city' was defined as all neighbourhoods immediately adjacent to a city's centre. For larger cities like Manchester, this included a ring from 1.3km to 4.5km from the centre, where urban areas transition to suburbs. In Manchester, 58.4% of inner-city neighbourhoods ranked among the most deprived in 2025, down from 75.7% in 2010.
Burnham's Campaign and Byelection
Burnham is currently preparing to contest the Makerfield byelection in Wigan, one of the most distant Greater Manchester constituencies from the city centre. The byelection is seen as a precursor to a potential leadership challenge against Starmer.
Despite Manchester's success, the report noted that deprivation rates increased in some parts of urban Britain. Seven out of ten cities and towns with the largest increases in overall deprivation were in the north and Midlands, including Derby and Sunderland.
Call for Devolution
Andrew Carter, chief executive of the Centre for Cities, urged the government to 'back metro mayors', noting that big cities with devolved powers outperformed smaller towns. He stated: 'Government needs to continue to back mayors to deliver and ensure their plans for fiscal devolution reward metro mayors for the steps they take to boost local growth.'
