Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has identified the revitalization of Britain's towns as a central political priority, following the Makerfield byelection. Burnham contends that for too long, areas outside of major metropolitan hubs have been "forgotten or written off" by national government policy. He argues that this neglect has contributed to a widening economic gap, noting that since the turn of the millennium, large cities and affluent towns have experienced significantly faster growth than weaker local economies.

According to Burnham, the current disparity is a matter of fairness. He points out that more than four times as many people in Britain reside in towns rather than cities, yet national investment has often favored urban centers. His proposed approach seeks to reverse this trend by ensuring that neglected regions receive the resources necessary to stimulate local growth and improve high streets. While the specific policy mechanisms remain broad, the core of his argument rests on the necessity of rebalancing the national economy to support the majority of the population living outside of major cities. The initiative highlights a growing political focus on "left-behind" areas, suggesting that future government strategies may increasingly target these regions to address long-standing regional inequalities.