The

The Hello and welcome to rock and roll politics, the twice weekly podcast with me, Steve Richards.

Thanks so much for tuning in, wherever you are in the UK and indeed around the rest of the world.

And today I'm delighted to say I'm in conversation with the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

We'll be talking to Andy about a range of things. I mean, his political career is extraordinary.

He looks so young, I think, as I say in the conversation, but I first knew him when he was a special advisor at the start of the whole new labor era

in 1997. He was a special advisor to the Culture Secretary Chris Smith, then had an astonishing

career at Westminster, several cabinet posts, then made the big call

to go for being the mayor of Greater Manchester. And he therefore, just in his career,

reflects so many of the things we all talk about on this podcast together, you know, where power lies, how you use power,

whether we are closer now to 1997, or is this a different period altogether, as I think, and

well, you'll have to hear what Andy Burnham has to say about all of that.

Just before we go to our conversation, the usual assembly notice, the live shows kick off pretty soon now.

And there will be tickets where you can get the tickets on the blurb for the podcast.

Birmingham March the 21st, that's sold out at the 1000 trades club, I think it is.

Kings Place, first one of the year on March the 23rd. By the way, these all coincide around what's

going to be one of the epic moments of this year. The budget with that Tory parliamentary party,

parts of it, you know, the Trussites and others, aching for tax cuts.

I shouldn't call them Trussites. It elevates her too much.

Anyway, for my view on Truss last week's, the podcast earlier this week.

Yeah, so, yeah, Kings Place March the 23rd, Belfast March the 26th at the Black Box at Hill Street, which I'm told is a great venue.

I think I actually have been there before.

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