After 35 years, Greater Manchester prepares to dismantle Margaret Thatcher's bus legacy

An interview with Sir Richard Leese. 'Of all the things that came out of devolution, this was the biggest single thing within it'

Good morning members — today’s newsletter is the first of two we are publishing about bus reform in Greater Manchester. It might sound like a deathly dull topic but the power to take back control of buses was one of the most significant components of the devolution deal, and we are finally approaching a conclusion to the process. Around 80% of public transport journeys in GM take place on buses, so how the system is organised has big implications for peoples’ lives.

Last week we interviewed Sir Richard Leese about an issue that has dragged on for his entire political career in Manchester, and today’s post tells the story of bus deregulation through his eyes. The second instalment of the series will look in more detail at the financial and environmental impacts of a new system and how the bus companies have been fighting back.

If you missed last night’s members’ newsletter, it has all the latest Covid-19 data, including the progress of vaccinations in Greater Manchester.