IT’S OVER 100 years since a person from north-west England became the British prime minister. With Andy Burnham becoming the latest PM, readers looking to explore the region can start with these four days out that celebrate the north-west’s rich history of protest and politics. In the spirit of Burnham’s overhaul of the Greater Manchester public transport system and commitment to low fares, all days out are easily accessible by bus, tram and train.

• Follow the Engels trail around Salford and Manchester. With the family cotton thread factory situated in Weaste, Salford is the perfect starting point for your Engels-themed walk. A fun, five-metre-tall Engels’ Beard sculpture is situated at the rear of the University of Salford and is directly opposite the Working Class Movement Library, which has most of his written work and an album of photos of his former homes.

Heading into the city centre, an original statue of Engels is situated in Tony Wilson Place near the HOME arts venue. The two-tonne statue was discovered in the Poltava region in eastern Ukraine and brought to Manchester in 2017.

Finish off your walk at Chetham’s Library, the oldest public library in Britain. In the reading room, you can visit the alcove with wooden seating and a partly stained-glass window, where Engels and Marx met to discuss and research revolutionary theory. The desk and alcove seating are original, and the library still holds many of the books studied by Engels and Marx.  


• Hike to Kinder Scout in the spirit of the Trespassers. In 1932, hundreds of people gathered to walk across the moors and hills to the Kinder Scout plateau in protest at the denial of their access to open countryside. The mass trespass and subsequent arrests paved the way for the long-distance footpaths and national parks many take for granted.  


The mass trespass circular walk starts and ends in the village of Hayfield, reachable by public transport from Manchester and Stockport. Taking approximately five to six hours, the eight-mile loop can be challenging at times but passes through spectacular heather-covered countryside, with views on a clear day to Yorkshire, Cheshire and Wales. Take a map, plenty of snacks and drinks, and ensure you check the return transport timetable before you set off.  

• Say no to big-money football and see an FC United match. Founded in 2005, following opposition to the Glazer takeover of Manchester United, the 100 per cent members-owned club champions inclusive, fairer football anchored in the community.

Playing out of Broadhurst Park in Moston, matchday tickets start at a very affordable £3 for under-18s, making it an ideal and affordable family day out.

The club also competes internationally in the Fenix Trophy against other European fan-owned and grassroots clubs. Finishing third in the 25-26 season, the NPL (Northern Premier League) starts again in August.  

• Support radical shops and bars in Liverpool city centre.
Liverpool’s radical and socialist history stretches back much further than the ’80s, but for most, it’s the city’s confrontational stance against the Thatcher government, the lockout of the dockworkers in the ’90s and the continuing boycott of the Sun newspaper following the Hillsborough disaster, that features most in people’s memories.  


Not-for-profit bookshop News from Nowhere opened in 1974 and is situated in the heart of the city on Bold Street. With social justice top of the co-op’s agenda, the shop’s stock includes books on radical politics, women’s studies and environmentalism along with an eclectic collection of magazines, newspapers and fanzines from across the left.

Set up by sacked Liverpool dockers, Casa (Community Advice Service Association) continues to provide vital support to the community. The Casa Bar, situated on Hope Street includes meeting rooms and a theatre that regularly hosts charity events, radical talks and plays. Don’t forget to check out the socialist memorabilia when you’re enjoying your beer.  

And if that’s not enough, some further options include:

• Explore Rochdale’s Pioneers Museum, home of the Co-operative movement. 
• Visit Clarion House near Burnley, the last remaining house from the radical rambling and cycling group. 
• See radical history across the decades at the People’s History Museum in Manchester. 
• Attend the Diggers’ Festival in Wigan, home to Gerald Winstanley and held annually in September.
• Discover the Weavers’ Uprising at Lancaster City Museum.