Andy Burnham has unveiled his vision for government, pledging the “biggest rebalancing of power our country has ever seen” as he set out plans to tackle the cost of living, devolve power away from Westminster and rebuild public trust in politics.
With the Greater Manchester Mayor widely expected to succeed Sir Keir Starmer as Labour leader and become Prime Minister within weeks, the speech at Manchester’s People’s History Museum was designed to reassure voters and MPs that he has a clear plan for government.
Declaring that Britain’s political system is “broken”, Burnham argued that simply changing the party in power would not be enough.
Andy Burnham: “Westminster has not been working for people and it has not been working for a very long time. In fact, it is broken.”
Andy Burnham: “We need a change in how Britain is governed, not just who governs it.”
Central to Burnham’s agenda is a major programme of constitutional reform, including a new No 10 North headquarters in Manchester to oversee the transfer of power and resources from Whitehall to local leaders across England.
He also promised the largest council house-building programme since the Second World War, reforms to business rates to revive struggling high streets, and greater public control of essential services such as water, energy, transport and housing.
Andy Burnham: “The days of Whitehall fighting the devolution of power into the regions and nations are over for good.”
Burnham insisted that his programme would not come at the expense of fiscal discipline, reaffirming his commitment to Chancellor Rachel Reeves's fiscal rules despite previous criticism of Britain's dependence on financial markets.
Andy Burnham: “My programme is backed by the discipline that comes from sound public finances.”
Acknowledging the continuing pressure on household finances, Burnham hinted that one of his first acts in office could be a package of cost-of-living support.
Andy Burnham: “People need a bit extra now to help with rising costs.”
Andy Burnham: “People need to be able to look forward to a night out or a holiday with the kids. People need hope.”
Hope emerged as the defining theme of the speech, with Burnham arguing that years of stagnant living standards had eroded confidence in both politics and government.
Andy Burnham: “What hope can we have that it will be different this time? That is the question I would be asking if I was a voter right now.”
He also admitted politicians of his own generation must accept responsibility for public disillusionment.
Andy Burnham: “We can’t go through another decade like the one we just had. We need a new determination to raise living standards … We need to change politics and we need to do it now.”
Burnham also suggested he would relax Labour's strict whipping system, allowing MPs greater freedom to represent their constituents, and pledged to work across party lines where possible to deliver his long-term programme for government.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed the speech, warning that the country faced uncertainty while Labour completed its leadership transition.
Kemi Badenoch: “The country is headed for a summer of chaos.”
Kemi Badenoch: “The economy has been left in limbo by the caretaker prime minister.”
Burnham's proposals also drew interest beyond Westminster. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he was confident Burnham would maintain Britain's defence spending commitments while recognising that increased investment in defence could support economic growth.
Snap polling commissioned by campaign group 38 Degrees suggested Burnham's proposals on regional devolution and greater public control of utilities attracted support even among Reform UK voters, indicating some of his flagship policies may have appeal beyond Labour's traditional electoral base.
