Andy Burnham will pledge to “lift Britain back up” with “good growth in every postcode”, delivered through devolution, in his first major speech since returning to Westminster.
The former Greater Manchester mayor, who will almost certainly replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister next month, will make the case for a radical transfer of power away from London and call for decision-making to be pushed back into local communities in a speech in Manchester on Monday.
Mr Burnham, who is a long-standing proponent of devolution, will outline the “biggest transfer of power out of Whitehall in modern times”, at the centre of which would be the introduction of a 'No10 North', reportedly to be based in Manchester, to coordinate economic policy.
His address will come one week after he was sworn in as an MP following his victory in Makerfield.
Meanwhile, Mr Burnham continues to mull his future cabinet. Rachel Reeves appears to have conceded she will no longer be staying on as chancellor, with several senior ministers including home secretary Shabana Mahmood and energy secretary Ed Miliband reportedly in the running to succeed her.
Key Points
- Burnham to pledge 'circuit breaker' for Britain in flagship speech on economy
- When will Burnham's speech start and where is it?
- What to expect from Burnham's speech
- Devolution to be at the heart of the speech, following Burnham’s ‘Makerfield’ test
- Burnham to outline his plans for 'No10 North'
Profile - Andy Burnham: The ‘King of the North’ who looks set to become Britain’s next prime minister
05:00 , Dan Haygarth
Who is Mr Burnham, and how did he come to be the frontrunner to become the next prime minister?
Who is Andy Burnham? ‘King of the North’ set to become the next prime minister
Tories name candidate aiming to replace Andy Burnham as Greater Manchester mayor
03:00 , Dan Haygarth
The Conservative Party on Sunday announced Trafford councillor Phil Eckersley as its candidate to be the next Greater Manchester mayor.
The local businessman was confirmed as their runner on Sunday and he will go up against Labour’s Bev Craig, the leader of Manchester City Council, as well as the Green Party’s Geraldine Coggins, who is also a Trafford councillor.
Labour has pitched it as a two-party race against Reform UK, who made sweeping gains in the area during the local elections.
But the Greens will also be aiming to win votes from Labour following their success in the Gorton and Denton by-election.
MP Rupert Lowe has said his Restore party will stand a candidate. Reform has yet to announced their would-be mayor.
The mayoral by-election is scheduled for July 30 and Trafford Council’s Bowdon Ward representative Mr Eckersley said he is “honoured to have been selected”.
Mr Eckersley, who founded Bridgewater Care Home in Wigan in 2010, which employs more than 100 people, added: “Greater Manchester is my home, and it’s a region with enormous potential, but too often decisions are made with a focus on Manchester city centre – with the outer boroughs getting left behind.
“As a business owner, father and local councillor, I understand the challenges facing families, businesses and communities across our city-region.
“From pressure on public services and concerns about crime and antisocial behaviour, to congestion, housing and the need for stronger local economies, these are issues I have dealt with directly throughout my professional and public life.
“The Conservative Party has a clear vision for Greater Manchester – safer streets, better transport, thriving local businesses, responsible development and value for taxpayers’ money.”
Watch: Report from Makerfield as Burnham won seat
02:00 , Dan Haygarth
Andy Burnham looks set to become the next prime minister – here’s what that could mean for Britain
01:00 , Dan Haygarth
Here’s what his premiership could mean for the country:
What would Andy Burnham’s policies be if he becomes prime minister?
Ed Davey says Burnham has 'very shirt window' to turn around Labour's fortunes
00:30 , Dan Haygarth
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has warned Andy Burnham had only a “very short window to turn this government around” as the country is “impatient for change”.
“People have heard this sort of talk before only to be badly let down because nothing changes – Burnham mustn’t repeat that mistake,” he said.
“If he’s serious about firing up growth and cutting the cost of living, Burnham must ditch Labour’s old red lines on Europe and take Britain into the single market.
“We will be holding his feet to the fire to finally deliver the change people are crying out for.”
Watch: John Major’s challenge to Burnham - ‘Britain must rejoin the EU single market in five years’
23:59 , Daniel Haygarth
What is the latest on Mr Burnham's potential cabinet?
23:00 , Dan Haygarth
The former Greater Manchester mayor continues to mull his future cabinet.
Rachel Reeves appears to have conceded she will no longer be staying on as Chancellor, with several senior ministers including home secretary Shabana Mahmood and energy secretary Ed Miliband tipped to succeed her.
Lucy Powell said she thought Mr Miliband would be good at running the Treasury but cautioned against “tittle-tattle” over who may get which job.
Steve Reed said he would be “very happy” to keep his Cabinet position under a Burnham government and had been speaking to the Makerfield MP in recent days, but that appointments would be a matter for the leader.
Burnham to pledge 'circuit breaker' for Britain
22:45 , Dan Haygarth
Labour leadership frontrunner Andy Burnham will pledge to give Britain the “circuit-breaker it needs” in a major speech unveiling his plans for devolution and the economy.
Mr Burnham, who served as a minister and on the opposition frontbench before becoming a regional mayor in 2017, will use his speech to suggest his generation of politicians – himself included – must take responsibility for the loss of public trust in politics.
He is expected to commit to public procurement reform which will centre on “buying British” in a bid to revive industry and in turn securing more “social value” in the form of work placements and apprenticeships.
Education reforms are also to be unveiled aimed at delivering what his team describe as “true parity” between the academic and the technical – a balance which outgoing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also sought to focus on while in government.
‘His time has come’: Makerfield voters want Burnham to be prime minister – as long as he doesn’t forget them
22:34 , Dan Haygarth
Do Andy Burnham’s new constituents want him to become prime minister?
Dan Haygarth finds out. Read below:
Makerfield voters want Burnham to become their PM – as long as he doesn’t forget them
Burnham to outline his plans for 'No10 in the North'
22:26 , Dan Haygarth
The creation of a “No10 North” will be a key Andy Burnham policy, with him planning to move some of the Downing Street operation to the North of England, reportedly Manchester.
Mr Burnham’s team say this office would “drive devolution and coordinate long-term economic renewal across every nation and region of the UK.”
Read more on the policy below:
Burnham eyes up ‘No 10 in the North’ as path to a coronation becomes clearer
When will Burnham's speech start and where is it?
22:16 , Dan Haygarth
In his first speech during the Labour leadership race, former Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham will say he will “give Britain the circuit breaker it needs”.
He will speak at the People’s History Museum in Manchester at 11:30am on Monday.
The Independent will bring you updates from it.
Senior cabinet member rejects idea that Burnham wants London to subsidise rest of nation
22:13 , Dan Haygarth
On Sunday, housing secretary Steve Reed, who is backing Andy Burnham to be the next prime minister, rejected suggestions he had indicated he wanted London to subsidise the rest of the nation.
“First of all, that’s not what he’s saying,” he told Sky News.
“What Andy is saying is that this is one of the biggest economies on the planet, and yet we have some of the poorest regions in Europe in this country, and that is because of the grotesque regional economic inequality we have in this country.”
He added it “benefits the south east of England if the rest of the country does well”, claiming Mr Burnham’s plan would help ease London’s housing crisis.
“It doesn't help London if London is the only place where people see opportunities for jobs and economic growth, because people from all over the country come to London,” he said.
Devolution to be at the heart of the speech, following Burnham’s ‘Makerfield’ test
22:12 , Dan Haygarth
Following his victory in the Makerfield by-election earlier this month, Mr Burnham said: “A Makerfield test at the heart of British politics will make sure that the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness.”
A desire to improve the North of England’s economic fortunes and address regional inequality through devolution is central to Mr Burnham’s politics.
His 2024 book Head North, written with Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram, advocated for power to be less central and moved away from Whitehall to local authorities and the combined authorities, such as that in Greater Manchester he used to lead.
The book called for a "more balanced approach, where councils and mayors were dealt some cards too".
The former mayor is said to be planning to boost economic growth by granting regional leaders enhanced authority over social housing, welfare, and post-16 education.
What we can expect from the speech
22:10 , Dan Haygarth
Andy Burnham’s team have said that his speech at the People’s History Museum in Manchester will cover the following:
- There must be a change in how Britain is governed, not just changing who governs it.
- The central proposal is the biggest transfer of power out of Whitehall in modern times, with decision-making pushed to regions and local communities.
- It sets out a vision of "good growth in every postcode", replacing a centralised, top-down model with locally driven economic growth.
- A flagship proposal is the creation of a 'No10 North' to drive devolution and coordinate long-term economic renewal across every nation and region of the UK.
- The speech commits to a 10-year mission to raise living standards through reindustrialisation, housing, infrastructure and reform of essential utilities.
- It argues for a new partnership between government, business, universities and communities, drawing on the Greater Manchester model.
- It calls for a new political culture focused on place before party, problem-solving before point-scoring and long-term thinking over short-term politics.
- The speech includes a commitment to reform public procurement to ensure maximised support for British jobs and British industry and, in return, secure more social value in the form of work placements and apprenticeships.
- It sets out a vision for major reform to the education system to ensure it is based on true parity between academic and technical, offering a path to all young people, no longer overly focused on the university route.
- The speech is the start of a significant response to the Milburn report and a drive to reduce the number of young people who are not in education, employment, or training.
