On a sunny afternoon in Glasgow city centre, a busker is performing covers of songs by The Smiths and The Stone Roses, a reminder that Manchester's music scene - and some of Andy Burnham's favourite bands - have clearly broken through north of the border. But one of Burnham's favourite policies, regional mayors, has not.
The question of whether Scottish cities should have mayors has become a live debate in recent weeks. Burnham, a former mayor of Greater Manchester and now prime minister, makes no secret that he thinks this is an effective way to run local government, but the power to introduce them in Scotland lies with ministers in Edinburgh, not Westminster.
If Scotland was to get mayors, the obvious place to start would be Glasgow, or more precisely the Glasgow City Region. The question is whether Glasgow needs a figurehead to raise its profile.
What is the Glasgow City Region?
The Glasgow City Region is an organisation many people would not be familiar with. It brings together Glasgow City Council and surrounding local authorities - eight in total - into one body.
It is an important region, estimated to represent a third of Scotland's economy. The region oversees investment zones and regional economic strategies, among other things, although these are not necessarily things people would notice day to day.
Supporters of a mayor say this could be the foundation for something that turbo-charges growth and investment in the region, but they say it needs a figurehead to drive it forward and take on accountability.
Do people in Glasgow want a mayor?
James Morgan, who has been running a shop in the city centre selling leather jackets for 50 years, says it is a difficult time to run a business in the city. He says there is no real good distribution of wealth and no growth in the economy.
"There's no real good distribution of wealth. There's no growth in the economy."
He appears to be a fan of Burnham and refers to the work he did to tackle homelessness in Manchester, as well as the idea of power flowing away from Westminster. However, he is slightly ambivalent about what a mayor would mean for Glasgow and says it depends on who the person is.
"If the man at the top is right it spreads all the way down,"
"And if the man at the top is wrong that spreads all the way down."
Labour MSP Paul Sweeney is a big advocate of the idea of Glasgow having a mayor. If the city did have this role, he would probably stand for it.
He believes a mayor could introduce an integrated transport system across Glasgow, potentially including buses, trains and the subway. That has been an ambition for the city for some time, but it has not come to fruition.
Sweeney says a mayor could emulate work done in cities like Manchester and London to bring down fares. He insists this is not about usurping existing councils, but about giving them a "booster pack".
"booster pack"
He also says a mayor would help the city operate on the world stage, pointing out that other figureheads - such as Zohran Mandani in New York - can significantly raise the profile of their city.
What do think tanks and experts say?
The Glasgow MSP is not alone in his assessment. In a report last year, the Centre for Cities think tank advocated a devolved authority for the Glasgow City region that would "match policymaking and powers to the city-region's economy".
It says this must be complemented by "stronger leadership, more robust accountability, and clearer democratic transparency". The think tank also advocates the introduction of a mayor to oversee all of this.
Still, the mayoral supporters are likely to be disappointed: it is not going to happen in Scotland any time soon. The prime minister can speak positively about the system as much as he likes, but devolution means he only oversees this area of policy in England.
The Scottish government does not want to shake up councils north of the border, either. This week Burnham announced plans to give English mayors a share of income tax revenue for the first time.
Why are some Scottish politicians unconvinced?
Responding to that move, the SNP MSP David Linden told BBC Scotland News that another level of elected politician in Scotland would not "be warmly received" by his constituents.
"be warmly received"
"We do believe in giving powers to local people, but I certainly remain to be convinced that giving someone a new chain of office and a new layer of elected politician is the way to do it,"
Speaking to people in Glasgow, some echoed Linden's view and insisted more politicians were simply not the answer. Others liked the idea of a more visible leader for the city who could be held to account for what went right or wrong.
The SNP's Susan Aitken has been the leader of Glasgow City Council since 2017.
When we asked everyone we spoke to if they knew who the leader of Glasgow City Council was, only one person did. That suggests there is a strong argument that a directly elected mayor would be more visible and therefore provide more accountability.
At the same time, it is fair to be sceptical about the idea of a mayor solving issues that are far more complex and systemic than many suggest. A new figurehead would not automatically deliver a better city region, and would clearly have to be combined with more reform.
The prime minister is making no secret of his desire to push power to a more localised level in England, which means the mayoral system is likely to become an even greater fixture of politics there in the coming years.
Plenty in Scotland will be watching. The success, or otherwise, of Burnham's devolution mission in England will probably determine whether calls for mayors in Scotland grow or fade away.
Key Facts
- Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and now prime minister, supports regional mayors as a way to run local government.
- The Glasgow City Region brings together Glasgow City Council and eight surrounding local authorities and is estimated to represent a third of Scotland's economy.
- Labour MSP Paul Sweeney supports a mayor for Glasgow and says it could help create an integrated transport system.
- The Centre for Cities think tank has called for a devolved authority for the Glasgow City region alongside stronger leadership and accountability.
- Scotland's government has no current plan to introduce mayors, and the power to do so lies with ministers in Edinburgh.
