Speeding, Begging, and Drugs: Tough Issues Facing Manchester

⁠Manchester’s Past, Present, and Future: A Conversation with the Lord Mayor

“No Complaints Yet!” – Lord Mayor on His Biggest Win

⁠Manchester’s Challenges, Progress, and Vision: Exclusive Interview with the Lord Mayor

Interview/ Tajammul Latif
A delegation of notable people paid a curtesy call on the Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Paul Andrews in the Lord Mayor’s Suite Manchester. The delegation included Nasrallah Khan Moghal, Mahboob Elahi Butt, Pervaiz Masih, Tajammul Gurmani, Sabira Naheed, Sobia Amber, and Aqsa Bano Raja. The Lord Mayor Paul Andrews also gave an interview to “Aims International” magazine, where he discussed various issues, including housing, homelessness, illegal drugs, mental health, infrastructure, and the challenges he faces as Lord Mayor.
Aims: When were you appointed, and what is the history of the Lord Mayor’s badge?
Cllr Paul Andrews: I’m the 126th Lord Mayor of Manchester, and I was appointed in May 2024. The Lord Mayor’s badge has a very interesting history. The original badge is very old and delicate, but in 1926, the Consul General Association of Manchester bought and paid for a new one, so it’s nearly 100 years old now. I wear it, but it’s safely stored in a big safe when I’m not wearing it. There are 65 diamonds on it. As the first citizen of Manchester, one of the best things I’ve done this year was during the general election. As the Chair of the Council, I’m also the Returning Officer for the city. I had the opportunity to read out the election results on national television, which is quite rare for a Lord Mayor. I remember a lady from the elections office briefing me on what to do, and she said, “You’ve never done this as Lord Mayor before.” I had to read the results exactly as they came in, and if I’d made a mistake, whatever I said would’ve been the official result. I joked, “What if I say the Greens won?” She wasn’t amused.

Aims: You’ve been Lord Mayor for almost seven months now. What do you consider your big achievements?
Cllr Paul Andrews: I’m not sure “achievements” is the right word, to be honest. One of the main things about being Lord Mayor is that you’re a focus for ceremonial activities. The Lady Mayoress and I have really focused on celebrating carers. We’ve spent a lot of time visiting organisations across Manchester to highlight the work carers do. By the end of my term, I hope we’ve made carers more visible, and that the council provides more support for them. That’s been a big theme. Of course, I get lots of invitations to all sorts of places, and some are more difficult than others, but supporting carers has always been a priority. As for achievements, I don’t think I’ve had any complaints yet, so I guess that’s a win. One of the most amazing things has been visiting parts of Manchester I’ve never been to before. I’ve lived here most of my life, except for a few years when I was younger, but as Lord Mayor, I’ve seen so much more. Manchester is such a diverse city, and I’ve met so many different communities – Asian, African, Chinese, Italian, Irish… you name it, they’re here. It’s exciting to see how much work is being done across the city by so many different groups.
Aims: What do you think about the future of the economy in Manchester? Once it was an industrial city, and people came here from all over the world.
Cllr Paul Andrews: I think the economy is growing and diversifying. Twenty-five years ago, a lot of people started coming to Manchester to invest, and that trend has continued. Big decisions were made by people like Sir Howard Bernstein, and now Councillor Bev Craig, the current Leader of the Council, is carrying that vision forward. I think Manchester’s economy will only get stronger as we keep inviting people in. We’ve promoted Manchester as the “knowledge capital” for many years, and with our universities, it’s a place where knowledge is key. That’s the new commodity, and Manchester excels at it. The universities attract people from all over the world, and businesses are flourishing. This city has a rich industrial history, we were the heart of the cotton industry, train locomotives were built here, the list goes on. And if you compare Manchester now to how it was 40 years ago, the city centre is unrecognisable. There’s a lot of new development, and our transport system has improved a lot too. People are still coming here because it’s a great place to live and work.
Aims: Housing is a big challenge, rents and prices are going up. What’s your priority for affordability and availability of housing?
Cllr Paul Andrews: You’d have to speak to the Executive Member for Housing about the details, but I can tell you we’re working on building 36,000 new properties.

Aims: How do you plan to eradicate homelessness?
Cllr Paul Andrews: We’re building more houses, but there’s also a strong focus on preventing homelessness in the first place. A lot of work is being done to get people out of temporary accommodation. Many families are living in temporary housing, and the goal is to provide permanent homes for them. The target for 6,000 new homes is ambitious, but we’re making good progress. A lot of this is high-rise flats, mainly in the city centre, but there are also developments in the suburbs and up north. A few years ago, we introduced a scheme where we send a team to help people facing eviction before it happens. We try to address issues early, rather than waiting for people to be evicted. If we can intervene earlier, we can stop homelessness before it starts.
Aims: How can you eradicate food poverty?
Cllr Paul Andrews: The city council supports charities that provide food banks, making sure there’s a spread of them across the city and that culturally appropriate food is available where it’s needed. While the council doesn’t directly have the policy to eradicate food poverty, we do support local organisations that are doing the work. We also use additional government funding to help where we can. Food poverty is a UK-wide issue, and we invest our money in the best way possible to help. For example, when the government removed the fuel allowance, we provided financial support to thousands of people in Manchester who lost out. The city council also set up a destitution fund years ago to help people who couldn’t access anything else. It’s been a vital support for local communities. We also have a helpline for people struggling not just with food poverty, but other issues as well. There’s a poverty strategy, and the council works with many partners across Manchester, supporting organisations that are doing great work on the ground.
Aims: There are a lot of beggars at every traffic signal. How can you stop them?
Cllr Paul Andrews: It’s a complicated issue. We’ve been working on it for years, and we try to deal with it as we become aware of it. Some of it is gang-related, and some of it involves people who are in desperate need. Unfortunately, money given to beggars often goes back to the gangs. The police and council are working on the issue, but it’s difficult. Begging is linked to a number of things, sometimes it’s a necessity, sometimes it’s a lifestyle choice, and sometimes there’s criminality or exploitation involved. Many beggars are struggling with addiction, which makes it even more complex. It’s a real challenge.
Aims: What steps are you taking to control the distribution and use of illegal drugs?
Cllr Paul Andrews: Different communities are affected by different drugs, and a lot of the issues start in schools. We’re focusing on prevention and education, working with the police, and doing what we can to tackle the problem. It’s a complicated issue, though, and there’s no easy solution. We need to continue working with partners to address it.
Aims: How do you see the future of Manchester’s infrastructure, and what improvements would you like to see during your tenure?
Cllr Paul Andrews: Manchester’s infrastructure has always been a challenge. Years ago, there were talks about building a tube system, but because the city is built on a honeycomb of tunnels, it wouldn’t work. It would be a huge risks But overall, our infrastructure is doing well. If you compare Manchester today to 40 years ago, it’s a world of difference. There’s so much more development now, and our transport system has improved massively. You can now easily get from the city centre to the airport, something that wasn’t possible a few decades ago. I remember when I was the Executive Member for Highways, I signed off on a lot of the changes that made that possible. Manchester is an old city, dating back to Roman times. It’s amazing how much it’s changed, and I think it will continue to improve.
Aims: What are your main goals for the next five months as Lord Mayor?
Cllr Paul Andrews: To be honest, I can’t quite see the finish line yet. The last seven months have gone by so quickly, and it’s been really busy. It’s hard to take it all in. For the next five months, I want to make sure I enjoy it more. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve really enjoyed being Lord Mayor, but it’s been a whirlwind. I want to take a step back, relax a bit, and make sure I make the most of my time left in this role.
Aims: What are the most difficult challenges you face in your role as Lord Mayor?
Cllr Paul Andrews: My first day as Lord Mayor was a bit of a rollercoaster. I finished council at 11:30 am; and my first event was meeting the Duchess of Edinburgh and Prince Edward at 12:00. I had to walk to the Bridgewater Hall because there were lots of Palestinian protests around, and I couldn’t use the car. It was a surreal experience, and the security guy kept reminding me to say, “Welcome to Manchester, Your Highness” as we walked through the streets. When I met the Duchess, she immediately grabbed my hand and said, “I believe I know you” It was such a strange moment. But the best part of the job, without a doubt, is meeting Mancunians who are working hard to improve the city. There are so many incredible people doing amazing things in Manchester, and that’s been the most rewarding part of being Lord Mayor.
Aims: What’s being done to tackle speeding?
Cllr Paul Andrews: There are a lot of speed cameras going up around the city, and we’ve also introduced speed bumps, or ‘sleeping policemen,’ as we call them. There are plenty of traffic complaints, but we’re working on improving the situation. Personally, I’d like to see a 20 mph speed limit across the city, but not everyone agrees with me! People often get quite vocal about it, but we’ll keep pushing for safer streets.