Andy Burnham: Manchester-style approach can clean up Glasgow

Andy Burnham has offered to help Scottish authorities tackle crime in Glasgow.

Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Burnham suggested his Manchester-style approach could help Scotland’s biggest city.

The comments come ahead a planned visit to the central belt by the prime minister, which is to take part during SNP conference in Aberdeen.

Labour MP Maureen Burke, who represents Glasgow North East, said a BBC documentary from August had “exposed violence, open drug dealing, child exploitation, and a staggering 1,200 sexual offenses recorded in Glasgow city centre in the year to March 2026”.

Burke, a former city councillor, said: “We must have an honest discussion about the city's pressures, including addiction, deprivation, immigration, and community cohesion. While SNP underfunding has crippled local public services and Glasgow City Council's response has fallen short, Reform is exploiting public safety fears to stop racial division in our welcoming city. Will the prime minister hear this call for help and support a coordinated response to make Glasgow safer?”

Burnham responded: “Policing is obviously a devolved matter, but I am very open to working with the SNP government, Police Scotland, Glasgow City Council to deal with the issues that she is referencing.

“As mayor of Greater Manchester I brought forward Operation Vulcan, which was a multi-agency approach to changing Cheetham Hill, and it did rip out entrenched criminality in that area. I'm more than happy to talk to her about how we pioneer that in Glasgow too, and that is an offer that's open to her.”

Targeted at an area known for the sale of illicit and counterfeit goods, Operation Vulcan saw the seizure of close to 1050 tonnes of items in its first two years, with more than 200 shops shut down and nearly 250 arrests made.

Police seized more than £500,000 in cash and 2.4 million class C drugs.

According to Home Office figures for 2025, Manchester had one of the highest crime rates in England and Wales, at 143 incidents for every 1,000 residents.

In Glasgow, the rate is 84 per 1,000 residents, according to figures from the Scottish Government. The city council area is the most populous in the country and routinely leads crime statistics.

In an interview with the Glasgow Times this week, Scottish Labour leader Michael Marra, who visited the city for a walkabout with councillors, said there are “clear challenges of crime and anti-social behaviour in the city centre”.

He told the paper he had been in talks with Burnham and First Minister John Swinney about the prospect of better regional deals for Scotland.