Andy Burnham’s block from the Gorton and Denton by-election may have delayed his Westminster return, but from our perspective at Word On The Street, his track record as Greater Manchester Mayor makes him a figure the mortgage and housing sector can’t afford to ignore. Operating in Manchester, we’ve seen firsthand how Burnham has kept housing on the agenda–pledging 10,000 new council homes by 2028, pushing for powers to suspend Right to Buy on new-build council stock, and championing brownfield redevelopment where infrastructure already exists. That visibility matters because you can’t fix supply without maintaining political focus. However, as a brokerage working directly with borrowers and investors, we’re clear-eyed about what moves the dial: delivery pace, planning certainty, and viability. The market responds to what actually gets built, when it gets built, and whether the system gives developers and funders predictable timelines–not announcements alone.

If Burnham’s Greater Manchester instincts translated nationally, we’d anticipate a noticeable shift towards prioritising tenant security, affordability, and social supply in the private rented sector. While many renters and local authorities would welcome this, it could heighten uncertainty for landlords and accelerate consolidation trends we’re already seeing: smaller or highly leveraged landlords exiting, while better-capitalised professional operators focus on quality stock and longer-term yields. His push for expanded council and social housing–including protecting new-build stock from Right to Buy–represents a compelling long-term vision for easing rental market pressure. But the hard reality, as we see it daily in specialist lending, is that policy uncertainty drives higher stress testing, more scrutiny on exit strategies, and criteria that can tighten quickly. Whether a future Burnham government delivers meaningful change will depend entirely on whether bold ambitions are backed by genuine capital, planning reform, and realistic delivery mechanisms. For our clients and the wider market, that gap between rhetoric and implementation is everything.

Read Mahee Mustafa’s full piece on What a future Andy Burnham premiership could mean for mortgages and housing at Mortgage Introducer, featuring our Co-Founder, Michael Street.