Andy Burnham has long argued that food policy is not simply a question of agriculture or welfare, but of health, economic resilience and opportunity. If he is serious about building a fairer and more prosperous Britain, food policy should become one of the defining missions of his government. It sits at the intersection of many of the challenges Britain faces today: stagnant productivity, rising NHS costs, food insecurity, environmental pressures and regional inequality. Addressing these issues through a coherent national food strategy would deliver benefits far beyond the supermarket checkout.
As Mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham demonstrated that food policy can be used as a practical tool to improve lives rather than simply a matter for Whitehall departments. Under his leadership, Greater Manchester became the first Combined Authority in England to formally endorse the principle of a “Right to Food”, calling for it to be embedded within the National Food Strategy and ultimately recognised in legislation. At the same time, his administration expanded the “No Child Should Go Hungry” campaign, aiming to move beyond emergency food provision towards tackling the underlying causes of poverty.
To make from that a blueprint for national government, his refreshed Number 10 team should avoid viewing food policy narrowly as agricultural policy, nor public health policy. It should bring together farming, food manufacturing, retailers, schools, hospitals, local authorities and consumers around common goals: increasing domestic food security, improving diets, supporting British producers and reducing the long-term costs of preventable ill health.
Burnham’s experience also illustrates the value of devolving aspects of food policy. Local leaders often understand the specific needs of their communities far better than central government, whether that means supporting local supply chains, tackling food deserts or strengthening community food partnerships. A national framework combined with meaningful local flexibility would encourage innovation while ensuring consistent standards across the country.
Importantly, prioritising food policy is not simply about helping those facing hardship. A modern food strategy can strengthen British agriculture, encourage investment in food manufacturing, improve workforce productivity through better health, and create more resilient domestic supply chains in an increasingly uncertain world. Recent calls from across the food sector to treat food security as a strategic national priority underline how widely this thinking is now shared.
If Burnham believes that food policy can unite economic development, public health and social justice rather than treating them as competing objectives, scaling that philosophy nationally would not only build on one of his most successful mayoral legacies, but could become one of the defining domestic reforms of a Burnham government.
In the coming days we shall write to the new PM.
