Andy Burnham, the Labour MP and candidate to replace Keir Starmer as prime minister, has pledged to radically devolve fiscal powers away from Westminster and deliver 'good growth' across the entire United Kingdom. Speaking at the People's History Museum in Manchester on Monday, Burnham argued that Britain is 'stuck in a rut' due to a 'stark imbalance in resources between national government and local government.'
Burnham, who served as mayor of Manchester for nine years before returning to the House of Commons last week, outlined a sweeping plan that includes establishing a branch of the prime minister's office in the northern city, overseeing the largest housebuilding program since the postwar period, and devolving more control over services such as water, energy, and transport.
Key Proposals for Devolution and Growth
Burnham said he would 'support every region' to set credible industrial ambitions and develop plans to achieve them, pledging a 'laser-like' focus on growth. He vowed to maintain 'sound public finances' and adhere to the 'discipline of our current fiscal rules.' Additionally, he promised to reform business taxes to support pubs and high street businesses, redirect public procurement to favor British companies rather than 'chasing cut-price deals around the world,' and build an education system 'based on parity between academic and technical' training.
In a direct warning to the London-based civil service, Burnham declared that the days of Whitehall 'fighting devolution' are over. He described his plan as 'the biggest change in our lifetimes to the way the country is run,' with the new No. 10 Downing Street branch in Manchester acting as 'the conduit through which we redistribute power and resources across the U.K.'
Leadership Context and Timeline
Starmer announced his resignation last Monday, just hours before Burnham was sworn into the Commons. Nominations for the new prime minister are set to open on July 9 and close a week later. Burnham is currently the only declared candidate, with several potential rivals stepping back. The leadership contest could conclude by July 17 if no other candidate secures the backing of 81 Labour MPs needed to mount a challenge.
Burnham remained tight-lipped about his intended ministerial appointments, stating he would not announce them until after the contest ends. He framed his agenda as a 10-year mission, echoing Starmer's earlier promise of 'a decade of national renewal'—a pledge that faltered after just two years. Burnham carefully contrasted his language with that of his predecessor and Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who, after Labour's landslide general election win in July 2024, spent early months emphasizing the dire state of the inherited economy.
