Five Key Takeaways From Andy Burnham's Devolution Speech
Burnham called for a five-part plan to shift power from Westminster and expand regional control over housing, transport and infrastructure.
- On Monday, Andy Burnham delivered his first major policy speech in Manchester, unveiling a proposed 'No 10 North' operation to redistribute power from Westminster and set a 'new direction' for the UK.
- Burnham described the Westminster system as 'broken,' pledging a decade-long mission to raise living standards and establish the 'biggest council house building programme since the post-war period' to address Britain's housing crisis.
- City investors responded positively to the speech, with government borrowing costs dipping and Sterling rising over a third of a cent to $1.3240 as Burnham committed to existing fiscal rules.
- West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin stated the vision would 'turbocharge' growth, while Leeds City Council leader James Lewis called the housing plan 'music to my ears,' signaling regional support.
- The 10-year mission aims to grant regions greater public control over essential services including water, energy, and transport, ensuring economic growth reaches every postcode across the country.
14 Articles
14 Articles
In The Room | Andy Burnham wants to be Britain’s least powerful PM
Devolution – or devo-maxxing – was the order of the day in Andy Burnham’s most significant speech yet on how he would govern. But devolution is a tune plenty of leaders have played before. Tony Blair turbo-charged it after 1997, George Osborne promised a Northern Powerhouse, and Boris Johnson made plenty of noise about levelling up. Still, Britain remains top-heavy, with power and wealth concentrated in London. The UK also sends a far greater sh…
Burnham’s policy speech shows he has gimmicks but little substance
On 29 June, Andy Burnham gave the first major policy speech of his campaign to become prime minister. And to the surprise of few UK left-wingers, there’s little promise of radical change. Instead, there was a strong smell of ‘continuity Starmer’, with a nice gimmick and promise on top to sweeten the deal. Having already surrounded himself with dodgy Blairites, Burnham was hardly worrying the billionaire class before this speech. And that situati…
Andy Burnham's 'Manchesterism' is just tax-and-spend with a northern accent – William Yarwood
“I don’t have to sell my soul,” begins I Wanna Be Adored, The Stone Roses’ best-known song. Often mistaken for a love song, it is really about the dangerous hunger for attention, admiration and even worship.Given Andy Burnham’s rock-star return to Westminster last week, complete with the swagger, the fanfare, and the messiah-like reverence with which Burnham is treated, it is hard to think of a more fitting soundtrack. The Stone Roses may be one…
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