Labour conference diary: mayors are new superstars in Burnham's reign
The queue snaked well out the door and the bouncers were getting edgy. “Step back,” one said firmly, before eventually letting me in.
But I wasn’t queuing to get into a nightclub, it was to see speeches from Labour’s mayors at the party’s conference in Liverpool.
This is Andy Burnham’s Labour - where the mayors have become the star.
Businesses were clamouring to introduce themselves, knowing Mr Burnham’s “devolution revolution” is in full swing.
And in parts of the country that do not yet have a metro mayor, MPs said that firms were shunning them, preferring instead to deal with one key person.
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin told me: “600 people on the list for a room of 250 - we need a bigger boat.”
She said the attention and focus on the mayors is “night versus day this conference”.
“Even though Keir [Starmer] did lead the way on devolution by default, not every department got the memo,” Ms Brabin said.
“We were always in fights with ministers trying to get the story about how we can be helpful and change the dial.
“Education was a particular challenge post 16. We’ve got that now just because Andy said we should.”
In his first conference speech as Chancellor, John Healey announced that mayors would get funding and powers to run local apprenticeship schemes.
“Led by mayors, because it’s the mayor that knows their areas best,” he explained.
“They know which firms are hiring, they know which colleges are delivering, and they know which estates have been left behind.
“That's what devolution means. And we had planned to start in a few areas. Now every mayor will have the chance to do it.”
On top of that, the mayors have been given planning powers, the opportunity to introduce visitor levies and soon they will retain a proportion of business rates and income tax.
They are being given resources to achieve the aims of driving growth and improving transport and other essential services.
"These are all things that Andy really understands from his his vast experience as mayor, and now he can implement the changes he wanted to see as mayor,” Ms Brabin added.
"Businesses, organisations, education establishments – they all now understand that we can work in partnership because now we've got the backing of government.”
These organisations can also see that mayors have the ear of Mr Burnham and No10 North.
They meet with the Prime Minister, Chancellor and other ministers regularly as part of his new economics council.
When Ms Brabin asked for help speeding up the delivery of her tram project, a special group was set up at the Downing Street base in Manchester.
This is Burnham’s Britain – where the mayors are becoming the stars.