What Andy Burnham's keynote speech in Manchester means

Below are the key points his first major speech since since Sir Keir Starmer announced he would be leaving Downing Street.

A new No10 North will drive devolution

Mr Burnham promised a radical devolution of power away from Westminster and into the UK’s nations and regions, driven by an extended No 10 operation based in Manchester.

He insisted the new operation was not only about Manchester, but would be responsible for making power flow into all the UK’s regions, including London.

It will also be tasked with equalising living standards across the whole of the country, inspired by Germany’s constitution or “Basic Law”.

The Basic Law includes a requirement for the government to work towards ensuring “equivalent living standards” across Germany’s states.

Mr Burnham said his No 10 North would also have three “clear tasks” of reforming essential utilities, reindustrialisation and regeneration of places.

More public ownership and a major social housing programme

While stopping short of calling for full nationalisation, Mr Burnham said his future government would “ensure that all parts of the UK are able to take greater public control of essential services”.

These included water, housing, energy and transport, and would come with a decade-long plan to bring down the costs of these essentials.

On housing, he said No10 North would “oversee the biggest council house building programme since the post-war”, using vacant public land to reduce costs.

Mr Burnham also said he would focus on higher density development in existing towns, to both reinvigorate high streets and protect green spaces from development.

Andy Burnham delivers a speech at the People's History Museum, Manchester, to pledge to give Britain the "circuit-breaker it needs" whilst unveiling his plans for devolution and the economy (Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)

Parity between academic and technical education

Pledging to ensure parity between academic and technical education, Mr Burnham said: “The days of a school system configured entirely around the university route will be brought to an end.”

He said his government would provide young people with “a clear path into a reindustrialised Britain” as part of “complete rethink of how we support the next generation to succeed”.

Sticking to the fiscal rules

Mr Burnham has faced speculation he might seek to rewrite Labour’s current fiscal rules in order to fund more public spending through borrowing.

But he appeared to rule out such a move, saying he would not take “risks” with the public finances.

Uncertainty over immediate help with bills

While Mr Burnham acknowledged people “can’t wait forever to change” and needed help with rising costs, he did not provide a clear policy on cutting bills.

He said only that he would do his “very best” to deliver cuts to the cost of living and “give Britain some breathing space as soon as I can”.

A snap general election looks unlikely

During his speech, Mr Burnham insisted his plans were “consistent with the 2024 manifesto”.

In the face of pressure from opposition parties to seek his own mandate at a general election, his claim to be operating within Labour’s last manifesto suggests he has no plans to go to the country soon after entering Downing Street.

No cabinet announcements, but promises of change in Westminster

Mr Burnham said he would not announce any appointments until the Labour leadership election process had finished, despite intense speculation about his possible choices for senior cabinet jobs.

But he did promise to create an “inclusive team at the very highest level” drawing on all parts of the Labour party and the country.

And he pledged to “reach out to other political parties to find as much common ground” in a Westminster environment he described as “more fragmented” and “unhappier” than when he left in 2017.

Mr Burnham has previously criticised the whipping system that political parties use to enforce discipline and ensure their MPs vote along party lines, suggesting it should be abolished.

While he did not say he would scrap the system on Monday, he did promise not to use parliamentary whips to “create fear or close down debate”, allowing MPs to be “authentic representatives”.

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