Andy Burnham is set to deliver his first major leadership speech on Monday morning, pledging to “lift Britain back up to where it should be.” Speaking at the People’s History Museum in Manchester, the MP for Makerfield will argue that, as prime minister, he would provide the “circuit breaker” the country requires.
His inner circle has described the address as the “foundational text” of his government program, and as such, the speech is expected to cover a broad range of policy areas. While he is not expected to take questions from the press immediately following the speech—a move likely to draw criticism given his lack of a direct electoral mandate—his team insists this is not the start of a pattern of avoiding scrutiny, noting that such engagement will occur later in the campaign.
A cornerstone of Burnham’s vision is a significant shift in governance, proposing “the biggest transfer of power out of Whitehall in modern times.” While this is unlikely to mirror the scale of the creation of the Scottish and Welsh parliaments or the Northern Ireland Assembly, he is expected to argue that current devolution efforts have failed to sufficiently empower leaders outside of London.
Allies of the former Greater Manchester mayor suggest his experience in that role revealed a deep-seated resistance to devolution within Whitehall, a culture he intends to dismantle. A key proposal is the establishment of a “No10 North,” which would base part of the prime minister’s operation in Manchester. This unit would be tasked with driving devolution and ensuring “good growth in every postcode” across the UK. Sources emphasize that this initiative is not designed solely to favor the North of England, but will extend to other English regions as well as Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Burnham will also address his desire for “public control” over transport, water, and energy. However, the level of detail he provides regarding timescales and the extent of state intervention—specifically how closely this resembles full nationalization—remains a key question.
Conservative Party Chairman Kevin Hollinrake criticized the proposals, arguing that Burnham’s focus is merely on “shuffling power between politicians” rather than addressing systemic issues. “Not fix the welfare system. Not cut the taxes strangling working families and British business. Not fund the defence our country desperately needs,” Hollinrake stated. “It’s the politics of distraction from a Labour Party that is deliberately avoiding the questions that actually matter.”