Andy Burnham has pledged to devolve more powers to Scots towns and cities as part of the "biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen." The Labour MP, expected to succeed Keir Starmer as Prime Minister next month, used a set-piece speech in Manchester to insist power must be transferred out of Whitehall so growth can be "nurtured from the bottom up."
Burnham's Vision for Deeper Devolution
The PM-in-waiting said he wanted to offer "new opportunities to extend devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by taking power deeper down." He added: "The people of Dundee and Bangor feel just as distant from Holyrood and the Senedd as they do from Westminster." Burnham continued: "Let me say this very directly - the days of Whitehall fighting the devolution of power into the regions and nations are over, for good."
The former mayor of Greater Manchester returned to the House of Commons last week after almost a decade away, having won the Makerfield by-election. This prompted Starmer to announce his intention to resign as PM and Labour leader after his popularity in the polls tanked. Unless another leadership challenger steps forward, Burnham is expected to formally take charge on July 20.
Details of the Speech
In his speech in Manchester, Burnham said: "We will bring about the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen. It is time for Whitehall to accept that growth cannot be ordered from the top down. Instead, it can only be nurtured from the bottom up. It comes from having the power at ground level to make a real difference, from a clear shared vision that everyone can understand, and investors can back. It comes from running sound finances, as we have done here in Greater Manchester, which in turn gives businesses the stability and the confidence to invest, increasing their productivity and adoption of new technology. It comes from placing our universities at the heart of local economies, as all the mayors do, and bringing the innovation-led approach through start-ups and scale-ups. It comes from committing to decent infrastructure in all parts of the UK."
Reaction from Scottish Labour
Welcoming his speech, Scottish Labour MP Michael Shanks said: "A hugely important part of the devolution journey has been ignored for far too long in Scotland - communities feel just as remote from Holyrood as they do from Westminster. That has to meaningfully change."
