Britain's prime-minister-in-waiting Andy Burnham delivered the most important speech of his political career on Monday, setting out his economic plan to make the country prosper.
The MP who is now highly likely to become the UK’s leader around July 17 hopes to use his experience as Manchester mayor to implement the biggest devolution of power in England in modern times. Mr Burnham said he would set out a new direction for the UK.
Speaking in Manchester, which with significant Abu Dhabi investment has become Britain’s fastest growing city, he called for positive action across the UK.
A flagship proposal is to create a No 10 Downing Street in the North in a major transfer of power from Whitehall. This extended footprint would make the government operation the “nerve centre of a rewired Britain”. He declared Westminster was broken and the country was stuck in a rut.
He said: “No 10 North will support the regions on three clear tasks: reform of essential utilities, reindustrialisation and the regeneration of places.”
It would mean regions being able to take “greater public control of essential services like water, housing, energy, and transport”.
He said: “It is time for Whitehall to accept that growth cannot be ordered from the top down. Instead, it can only be nurtured from the bottom up."
He vowed to “reach out to other parties” in a “fragmented, disjointed” Westminster if he becomes prime minister.
His plan to “lift Britain back up” would hand more decision-making powers to local authorities, tackling youth unemployment alongside ambitions for “good growth in every postcode”. Mr Burnham said: “I am going to give Britain the circuit-breaker it needs. The country spends too much time arguing and not enough time doing.”
He also outlines the biggest council house building programme since the post-war period.
His speech comes after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced last week he would step down as leader of the ruling Labour Party, just two years into his premiership.
Mr Burnham, 56, could be installed as Mr Starmer's successor as soon as July 17, if no other challenger emerges.
Mr Burnham has proven popular with voters and his victory over the right-wing Reform party in the Makerfield by-election earlier this month was more emphatic than expected.
Supporters are now hoping a Burnham-led government can repair the fortunes of Labour, which remains behind Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration party in opinion polls.
‘Circuit breaker’
Mr Burnham gave a sign he hopes to fight and win at least two general elections by setting out a “10-year mission” to raise living standards.
Having long argued that investment in the UK is disproportionately tilted towards London and the South-east, he also admitted a generation of politicians, including himself, are responsible for the loss of public trust in politics.
A long-standing proponent of devolution, Mr Burnham's plans include a boost to economic growth from giving regional mayors more control to help the one million unemployed young people back into work.
That agenda was set out in his book, Head North, in which he bemoaned a system that involved regional leaders going down “on bended knee” to Westminster and called for a “more balanced approach, where councils and mayors were dealt some cards, too”.
He called for decision-making to be pushed back into local communities as part of his vision. He also committed to public procurement reform, including the defence industry, which would centre on “buying British” in a bid to revive industry.
He said: “For too long, UK public procurement policy has been based on chasing cut-price deals around the world rather than helping our own British-based suppliers become more stable and competitive,” he said.
“No more. From here on, every pound raised from taxpayers will work harder for them, and that approach will apply fully to the defence investment plan.
“We will make sure that all eligible public contracts are subject to proper social value weighting and we will do that to make sure British-based companies are in a better position to win those contracts.”
Forming government
Following the speech at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, Mr Burnham was heading to London to continue meeting MPs as he prepares for government.
The most crucial choice will be his next chancellor, with incumbent Rachel Reeves now appearing to concede she will not stay in post.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has been tipped for the post, as has left-wing Energy Secretary Ed Miliband. But an unlikely alliance of some trade unionists and city traders have reportedly urged Mr Burnham against appointing Mr Miliband as chancellor because they believe his net-zero policies are economically damaging. This includes his refusal to grant licences for more North Sea oil and gas fields.
The appointment will be a clear signal of whether his government will head leftward or move to the centre.
General election?
Senior Labour figures have insisted the party is united behind the leadership front-runner and dismissed the prospect of a general election to secure a mandate for major policy shifts.
But Reform, which made sweeping gains in May’s local elections hastening Mr Starmer’s downfall, has called for a general election, while the Conservatives have said they would be ready to fight one if needed.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has also urged Mr Burnham to come to the Commons to set out his priorities before parliament shuts for its long summer recess.
Parliament is due to rise on July 16 and Mr Burnham is likely to enter Downing Street on July 20, the following Monday.
“If Andy Burnham wants to lead the country, he should be brave enough to answer MPs representing the length and breadth of the country on his plans for all our lives,” Ms Badenoch said.
