Oasis and Elbow have soundtracked Burnham\u2019s byelection campaign and he got Liam Gallagher doing Manchester\u2019s tram announcements. Will he keep banging the drum for music if he reaches Westminster?<\/p>\n
First came Andy Burnham\u2019s Makerfield byelection campaign launch video, with the Greater Manchester mayor stomping down red-brick streets soundtracked by homegrown stars Oasis, Elbow and James. Then came the eye-catching, northern soul-influenced campaign logo: Change Labour, Keep the Faith. And this week, it is not just pubs and clubs but music venues that would be part of Burnham\u2019s proposed business rates cut.<\/p>\n
As he looks to return to Westminster then make a bid for party leadership, music is part of Brand Burnham in a way that is unusual for a mainstream politician, in a campaign where he has pitched \u201cManchesterism\u201d as the solution to Britain\u2019s woes. But it is a policy platform that can be as vague and vibes-based as a Noel Gallagher verse. How does the Mayor\u2019s love affair with Manchester\u2019s music industry shine a light not just on \u201cManchesterism\u201d, but the man behind it?<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/dc4e746dd57be03f3d03efe48fc43cb566a76bc2\/110_0_2780_2224\/master\/2780.jpg?width=140&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=1bee7e9fca571a1196ad5075153a8737\" "\\"\u2018He")
<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"