Burnham's 'good growth' vision offers a fresh chance for levelling up
Andy Burnham has set out his vision for 'good growth in every postcode,' which former Conservative education secretary Justine Greening argues could succeed where Boris Johnson's levelling up agenda failed. Writing in The Guardian, Greening says Johnson 'lifted the levelling up language from the Department for Education' but then 'downgraded what should have been a defining purpose for his government to little more than a towns fund.' She also criticises Keir Starmer for hiking employers' national insurance, which she says 'literally taxed opportunity' and hit younger workers hardest.
Greening, who served as MP for Putney from 2005 to 2019, asserts that Burnham 'comes across as more understanding of the scale and complexity of change needed' after his Makerfield byelection victory. However, she warns that 'the political rubber will need to hit the road remarkably quickly, or patience will run out with his premiership even faster than it did with Keir Starmer.'
Three key components for success: place, partnership, and devolution
Greening identifies three components for success. First, she emphasises the importance of 'place' and 'partnership,' arguing that 'Whitehall's top-down, one size fits all approach cannot deal with complex realities on the ground.' She cites her own experience introducing 'opportunity areas' as education secretary, which allowed local leaders to shape priorities in partnership with the NHS, local government, and businesses. She praises Burnham's 'No 10 North' proposal as a means to 'disrupt the Whitehall machine' and his radical devolution plans as 'a welcome and dramatic handing over of power away from Whitehall.'
Businesses as 'opportunity engines' for social mobility
Second, Greening calls on Burnham to unleash businesses as 'opportunity engines.' She highlights the Yeovil-based helicopter manufacturer Leonardo as an example, describing it as 'the backbone of the south-west regional economy' that has created thousands of skilled jobs through partnerships with local education. 'No skills, no sector,' she writes. Greening urges Burnham to seek out similar businesses and measure their impact, differentiating 'between those anchor businesses that act as genuine engines of social mobility and those that don't.'
Treasury reform needed to value 'good growth' over mere growth
The final challenge, according to Greening, is reforming the Treasury while maintaining City confidence. She argues that 'good growth in every postcode' is a public finances strategy, noting that 'lives on track contribute to the public purse, lives off track cost us all.' She calls for the Treasury to 'properly value investment in lives on track' and pivot to a prevention-first approach. She criticises the lack of innovation in tax policy, including business rates, corporate taxes, and VAT, and says the Treasury has 'steadfastly not walked the talk' on devolution. 'It's time for that to change,' she concludes.
Greening ends on an optimistic note: 'There are lots of challenges for a Burnham premiership, but his vision presents a huge opportunity to turn Britain's fortunes round. Good growth in every postcode? Bring it on; now it's time for delivery.'
