TREASURY chief Andy Burnham has promised action to stop people in Greater Manchester leading 'sicker, shorter lives' than people in the south of England.

Mr Burnham, who as Chief Secretary is deputy to the Chancellor Alistair Darling, said that he and the Prime Minister would shortly produce plans to help people out of poverty.

Mr Burnham said people in his Leigh constituency led sicker, shorter lives than those in the south and he said there was a north-south divide which had to be tackled.

He said: "But I see a renaissance in the north west. When I grew up factories closed all the time. Now things open. Manchester and Liverpool are on a different track."

But he admitted that there were health and poverty problems and four out of 10 pupils in some schools left without proper qualifications. Tweet