Andy Burnham Announces 'No 10 for the North' in Major Speech
Andy Burnham, the Makerfield MP and Labour leadership contender, delivered a major speech on Monday confirming the creation of a 'No 10 for the North' based in Manchester. He promised the biggest transfer of power out of Whitehall in modern times, aiming to give the UK a 'new direction' and end 'politics as usual'.
Promises to End 'Politics as Usual'
Burnham, who returned to Parliament after stepping down as Greater Manchester mayor, said Westminster 'is broken' and the country is 'stuck in a rut'. He pledged to pull people together in the 'broadest possible coalition' to revive hope across the UK. He also vowed to reach out to other parties to create a 'greater sense of unity' instead of the 'fragmented, disjointed' political environment he found on his return.
Details of 'No 10 for the North'
The new 'No.10 North' will act as 'the nerve centre of a rewired Britain', tasked with making power flow to all nations and regions. Drawing inspiration from Germany, it will strive for 'equivalent living conditions in all parts of Britain'. The department will have three clear tasks: increasing public ownership of essential utilities like water, energy and housing; reindustrialisation; and regeneration.
Council House Building and Education Reforms
Burnham outlined plans for the biggest council house building programme since the post-war period, using vacant public land to reduce costs. He recalled the 1970s when 'a council home' and 'good technical education' were foundations of working-class aspiration, saying those have been taken away. He also called for a 'complete rethink' of education, ending the system 'configured entirely around the university route' and building parity between academic and technical pathways to support young people into a reindustrialised Britain.
Changes to Public Procurement
Burnham said Whitehall must change its culture to back British industry when spending taxpayers' money. He criticised UK procurement for chasing 'cut-price deals around the world' instead of helping British suppliers. He promised that 'every pound raised from taxpayers will work harder for them', with proper social value weighting applied to all eligible public contracts, including defence investment, to ensure British-based companies are better positioned to win them.
