Cuffy67

Amateur Photographer. Love Exmoor. & the Quantocks. lover of Spaniels & Fan of Exeter Chiefs, Somerset CCC & Liverpool FC. Sense of humour is entirely my own.

[Jim Chimirie 🇬🇧 @JChimirie66677]

The Manchester Model. What It Actually Looks Like Up Close.

Andy Burnham is asking the country to trust him with Downing Street on the strength of what he calls the Manchester Model. Eight years of integrated public services and progressive governance that he says Britain should adopt nationally. Before the country decides, it should know what that model actually produced.

Start with the money.

£578 million in public money was lent by Burnham's Greater Manchester Combined Authority to a single developer, Daren Whitaker of Renaker. A tribunal found that GMCA failed to obtain a statement of assets and liabilities from Whitaker before lending, exposing taxpayers to a risk the tribunal described as potentially wiping out the public funds. A meeting between a senior GMCA officer and Whitaker at which loan terms appear to have been agreed produced no minutes or notes. Court papers allege Renaker presented high profit figures to the GMCA when seeking loans and low profit figures to Manchester City Council when seeking exemption from affordable homes requirements. The Court of Appeal is considering judgment on whether the loans were lawful.

Out of 11,000 homes built with that public money, 503 are classed as affordable. Less than five percent. Whitaker's personal fortune grew from £140 million to £698 million during Burnham's mayoralty. The luxury towers were marketed to Chinese buy to let investors through Hong Kong estate agents. Hundreds of flats have been sold to Asian investors according to Telegraph analysis of Companies House filings.

Now the transparency.

In April 2026 the Information Commissioner issued a practice recommendation to the GMCA for failing to publish Freedom of Information compliance statistics. Greater Manchester Police, under Burnham's authority as Police and Crime Commissioner, was separately issued with an ICO enforcement notice for 850 overdue FOI requests, more than 800 over six months old. The oldest had been waiting two and a half years.

Now the transport flagship.

The Bee Network has absorbed a £30 council tax precept increase in two years to subsidise its operation. The £115 million Clean Air Zone was scrapped after £211 million in public funds was received and only £22.5 million returned. Burnham's own transport commissioner acknowledged the network remains twenty two years behind London. The board of Be.EV, the company holding the Bee Network's public EV charging contract, includes Burnham's wife, who joined the company six years into his mayoralty and was appointed to the board as his Westminster ambitions became increasingly visible.

Now the promises.

Burnham pledged to end rough sleeping by 2020. Rough sleeping rose. Today 18,000 people across Greater Manchester have no permanent address. He promised Platt Bridge a flood solution by 2018. The area flooded in 2015, 2021 and on New Year's Day 2025. The projected solution is now 2028. When asked on Question Time why he would not apologise, he said it was before his time. He became Mayor in 2017. The promise was made in 2018.

Now the politics.

Labour's candidate to replace Burnham as Mayor is Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, the body that accepted Renaker's low profit figures and granted the affordable homes exemption. The mayoral by-election on 30 July will be fought under the supplementary vote system rushed through the Lords two days before Burnham's Makerfield victory, designed to consolidate left of centre second preferences and lock out Reform.

108 Labour councillors lost their seats in Greater Manchester in May's local elections. The region Burnham governed for eight years delivered the most devastating local election result in Labour's history.

This is the Manchester Model. These are its documented facts. The country is being asked to implement it nationally. It should read the small print first.

Bev Craig. Labour's candidate to replace Burnham. Leader of the council that granted Renaker's affordable homes exemption.

[Cuffy67 @cuffy_67]

@SomersetCCC Go well James

[Cuffy67 @cuffy_67]

@SomersetCCC Well done young man, amazing talent

[Emma @MrsEmmaWebber]

Barnaby Philip John Webber
11/01/2004-13/06/2023 💔

If you can, share these images of the beautiful soul stolen from us by the worst of humanity.

Let his face today burn bright.
Barney, I promise you there will be accountability 💛💚

For You. For Grace. For Ian.

[ClarksonsFarm @ClarksonsFarm1]

🙌🏼

[Cuffy67 @cuffy_67]

@alexaftrll Your in a higher league than me, nice thought though 😊

[ClarksonsFarm @ClarksonsFarm1]

🙌🏼

[Cuffy67 @cuffy_67]

Petition: Hold a referendum to bring the water industry into public ownership https://t.co/hLkSy2zvZ0

[Cuffy67 @cuffy_67]

@oelma__ A for Absolutely I do

[ClarksonsFarm @ClarksonsFarm1]

Repost if you agree!

[Stephen R Power @racingblogger]

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[Stephen R Power @racingblogger]

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[Cuffy67 @cuffy_67]

Win

[At The Races @AtTheRaces]

WIN TWO TICKETS TO GOLD CUP DAY AT THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 🚨

For your chance to win, simply like, repost and comment ‘WIN’

Winner will be announced on Thursday - good luck! 🤞

[At The Races @AtTheRaces]

WIN TWO TICKETS TO GOLD CUP DAY AT THE CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL 🚨

For your chance to win, simply like, repost and comment ‘WIN’

Winner will be announced on Thursday - good luck! 🤞

[Cuffy67 @cuffy_67]

@SomersetCCC Best wishes Bash. Although I think the ECB have handled you poorly

[Cuffy67 @cuffy_67]

@phileasfogg70 @SomersetCCC Doctored pitches 🤣😂🤣😂

[Cuffy67 @cuffy_67]

@ClarksonsFarm1 People, rather have Dogs 🐶

[Cuffy67 @cuffy_67]

@ClarksonsFarm1 There’s far more good people out there than these cowardly trolls. Plus they are only jealous about you. Stay strong & don’t stop being you 💕

[Anna 🇺🇸 @realAnn_29]

Wake up America! A must listen!!
This man lived under Islamic rule in Iran, saw his ancient Persian culture eroded, and watched neighboring countries collapse under the same ideology. His warning carries real weight.

Ignoring this isn't compassion or tolerance, it's willful blindness that endangers our families and civilization!!

.@POTUS .@VP