Andy Burnham has promised to give the UK a “new direction” with the largest transfer of power out of Whitehall in modern times, declaring that the country is “stuck in a rut” and in need of a “circuit-breaker”. In his first major speech since Sir Keir Starmer announced he would be leaving Downing Street, the prospective prime minister pledged to end “politics as usual” and pull people together in the “broadest possible coalition” to revive hope across the nation.
Devolution as a Solution to Political Stagnation
Speaking at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, Mr Burnham said: “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. It is the one I want to answer as clearly as I can today, and in doing so give the new direction the country is looking for after 10 years of political turbulence since Brexit and 20 years of falling living standards since the 2008 financial crash.”
The Makerfield MP, who gave up his role as mayor of Greater Manchester to return to Parliament in a by-election earlier this month, argued that Westminster has not been serving the people. “Westminster has not been working for people and it has not been working for a very long time. In fact, it is broken. And as a result, the country isn’t where it should be. It is stuck in a rut, and clearly we can’t go on like this,” he said.
A ‘No10 North’ to Rewire Britain
Mr Burnham outlined plans to create a “No10 North” based in Manchester, which would act as “the nerve centre of a rewired Britain”, tasked with shifting power to all the UK’s nations and regions. Drawing inspiration from Germany, he said this new department would be “given a mission to strive for equivalent living conditions in all parts of Britain”.
He also pledged to give the new body three “clear tasks”: increasing public ownership of essential utilities such as water, energy and housing; reindustrialisation; and regeneration. In Westminster, Mr Burnham said he would reach out to other parties to foster a “greater sense of unity” in place of the “fragmented, disjointed” political environment he encountered upon his return to Parliament.
Impact and Broader Context
The speech marks a significant moment in Mr Burnham’s bid for leadership, positioning him as a candidate willing to challenge the status quo. By promising the biggest devolution of power from Whitehall in modern times, he aims to address long-standing grievances about centralised control and economic disparities. His focus on public ownership and industrial renewal echoes themes from his tenure as mayor, where he championed local transport and housing initiatives. The proposal for a No10 North could reshape how policy is implemented across the UK, potentially influencing other regions to demand similar autonomy.
