ABSTRACT
Manchester and Salford's political relationship needs setting within their socio-economic and geographical relationships. Understanding their interactions as twin cities involves appreciating the historical roots of their present political distinctiveness and how politics has often over-ridden geographical and socio-economic similarities. Manchester and Salford have always been classic, even extreme, examples of twin cities. Though emerging separately and with separated histories going back over a thousand years, they have never been visually distinguishable – indeed, the boundary of one runs right into the other's historic centre. So too did some Manchester councillors, sometimes intervening in their neighbour's local politics on Manchester's behalf, 'seeking to set the inhabitants of Salford against its own municipal government'. Amalgamation supporters always included significant numbers of Salford councillors, again almost invariably out-township representatives economically active in Manchester. In face of Salford's need for co-operation and frequent anger when it was not forthcoming, Manchester council often 'seemed to care very little'.
