Andy Burnham, the new MP for Makerfield, is scheduled to deliver a major leadership speech on Monday morning, outlining his vision for the country. His team has described the address, to be given at the People's History Museum in Manchester, as the "foundational text" of his program for government. Burnham intends to promise that he will "lift Britain back up to where it should be" and provide the nation with "the circuit breaker it needs."
The core of Burnham's proposal centers on devolving significant power away from Westminster. His allies claim this would represent "the biggest transfer of power out of Whitehall in modern times." While not expected to reach the scale of the Scottish and Welsh parliaments or the Northern Ireland Assembly, Burnham's plan aims to empower politicians outside of London more effectively. His time as mayor of Greater Manchester reportedly showed him how resistant central government can be to devolution, fueling his desire for change.
A flagship proposal mentioned is the creation of "No10 North," a branch of the prime minister's office to be based in Manchester. This unit would be tasked with driving devolution and promoting "good growth in every postcode" across the UK. Sources emphasize that this initiative would not favor the north of England but would extend attention to other English regions, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Burnham also plans to discuss his concept of "public control" over sectors such as energy, water, and transport. However, the specifics of his approach, including the degree of state intervention and the timeline for implementation, are anticipated to be a key focus of discussion.
Conservative Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake criticized Burnham's proposals, stating, "Andy Burnham's big idea is to shuffle power between politicians. Not fix the welfare system. Not cut the taxes strangling working families and British business. Not fund the defence our country desperately needs. Just more devolution, more committees, more process. It's the politics of distraction from a Labour Party that is deliberately avoiding the questions that actually matter."
Burnham's team has indicated that he will not take questions from reporters immediately following the speech, a move that may draw scrutiny given his current electoral mandate. They maintain this is not indicative of a broader pattern of avoiding accountability.