Burnham speech latest: Labour MP unveils ‘No 10 North’ as part of ‘rewired Britain’ in 10-year policy plan

Former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell, who welled up as Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election last week, told The Independent: “As a first step, it was a breath of fresh air.

“Now it’s about getting down to the detail of implementation. As a former deputy leader of the GLC, I welcome the return to respecting and supporting the vital role local government can play.”

The Greater London Council ran the city from 1965 to 1986.

We’re now seeing reaction coming in following Andy Burnham’s speech, and it’s not surprising that northern leaders are welcoming Mr Burnham’s calls for greater devolution.

Mr Burnham said his plan was a “rejection of the trickle-down model” of economics as he promised “good growth in every British postcode”.

In northern regions there is already a form of devolution, with elected mayors for places like Manchester and West Yorkshire.

They make decisions on transport, housing and economic growth.

Wayne Jones OBE, chair of Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, told The Independent: “As Mayor of Greater Manchester, Mr Burnham has seen first-hand what can be achieved when regions are given control over areas such as public transport.

“For far too long power in this country has been centralised in London with little thought about the needs of individual regions. Having regional mayors has been a step in the right direction but more power needs to be devolved for the regions to achieve their full potential.”

He added: “It is encouraging that he talked about setting up a ‘No 10 North’ which should help to keep government focused on what needs to be done across the North.”

Last week, Mr Jones said many regions in the country had been left feeling aggrieved by past promises to raise living standards as part of the post-Brexit “Levelling Up” scheme.

Andy Burnham gave his speech to an audience of around 100 supporters, the front row taken up by regional mayors, including Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Oliver Coppard from South Yorkshire, Richard Parker, from the West Midlands and Tracy Brabin, from West Yorkshire.

Lucy Powell, deputy leader of the Labour Party, sat across the central aisle from the mayors, one among a number of MPs local to Manchester, including Jonathan Reynolds and Afzal Khan.

The speech, lasting around 30 minutes, was interspersed with applause, the biggest when Burnham defined what he called, “Manchesterism”, when he announced a Number 10 for the north and criticised Whitehall, and on his pledge on house building.

The Independent’s senior reporter Dan Haygarth reports live from Manchester:

Andy Burnham’s first speech since returning to Westminster politics laid out how he would govern if he, as is expected, becomes Keir Starmer’s successor in Downing Street.

His choice of location – the People’s History Museum in Manchester – was telling, and the former industrial site’s history bled into the speech as the new Makerfield MP spoke about Labour as a grassroots, people’s movement, built on working class aspiration and fixing the basics of British life.

He was back in what he called his “Manchester clothes” – no suit and tie, but a black t-shirt and a blazer – and had packed the front row of the hall with his former regional mayor colleagues.

This was Mr Burnham resolutely in his comfort zone, speaking passionately and authentically about the need to bring hope and power back to this part of the country – themes which were central in his agenda as mayor of Greater Manchester.

Those in the hall, whether regional mayors of Northern MPs, agreed with a speech with outlined how a No 10 North and increased devolution would allow for “good growth” in areas of the country which have long felt forgotten about.

While there is no doubt that Mr Burnham’s “Manchesterism”, particularly shifting at least part of the heart of government to Manchester as a “nerve centre” for his radical devolution plans would be welcomed by many outside the M25, this was Burnham at his most assured and comfortable, hitting his favoured topics surrounded by allies, all on the same page as him.

He finished speaking, to a rapturous applause, he was whisked away to a readied car by his friend and close ally Liverpool city region mayor Steve Rotheram, without taking media questions, which will further arguments he is avoiding scrutiny from the press as he aims for the highest office in the land.

Andy Burnham has declared a “10 year mission to raise people’s living standards” through

“I know people can’t wait forever for change,” he said as he outlined plans for reindustrialisation, reforms to business rates, housing and education.

“Everything starts with a good home, and this country finally has to put that at the top of its priority list,” he said.

“No 10 North will be able to support all places to turn around those towns, their high streets, and the local centers, increasing footfall on the high street and protecting more green spaces from development.

“To reinforce that, we will reform business rates to support pubs and high street businesses, businesses that bring social benefits to communities, and let me finish by saying this, rather than being a marker of decline, shouldn’t we make our high streets the new symbol of Britain’s Renaissance?”

No 10 North will oversee the biggest council house building program since the post war period, Andy Burnham has announced.

Mr Burnham said: “Britain has lost almost one and a half million council homes since the 1980s and around the same number of people are now on housing waiting lists and have been there for a very long time. As a result, the country is in a housing trap. We are forced to chase rents in the private rented sector through the benefits system.”

His call for more council housing received a huge applause as he called for council housing to be built using vacant public land to reduce costs.

Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin reports:

Andy Burnham is set to create a ‘No 10 North’ by moving some of his Downing Street operation to Manchester if he becomes prime minister as expected, he has confirmed.

To cheers as he gave a speech in the city on his vision for government, he stressed the office would “only be based here. The job of No 10 North will be to make power flow into the Midlands, into the South West, into the East of England, and yes, into London… as (it is) into the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, and here in the North West.”

And he said would be “about offering new opportunities to extend devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland”.

He pledged it would be the “nerve centre” of a rewired nation, “it will be the conduit through which we redistribute power and resources.”

He also announced it would be given a mission “to strive for equivalent living conditions in all parts of Britain”.

And he warned “the days of Whitehall fighting” the devolution of power from the centre are “over for good”.

Andy Burnham has called on an end to education pushing people solely towards university as an approach to address the NEET crisis where almost a million 16-24 year olds are not in education, employment or training.

“I take very seriously the findings of the recent report by Alan Milburn. We need a complete rethink of how we support the next generation to succeed, and it has to start with the education system. The days of a school system configured entirely around the university route will be brought to an end.”

Political correspondent Millie Cooke reports:

Andy Burnham has said his plan for government will be the “biggest change in our lifetimes to the way the country is ruled” – but insisted it will be within the bounds of Labour’s 2024 general election manifesto.

He said: “The change will be the biggest change in our lifetimes to the way the country is ruled, and it is consistent with the 2024 manifesto.

“We will create a more streamlined state with a clearer purpose. I’ll do the biggest change in our lifetimes, all parts of the country, and with a laser-like focus on growth and regeneration, good growth. The change will be driven through the prime minister’s office in an extended operation based here in Manchester.”

Senior reporter Dan Haygarth reports live from Manchester:

It’s maybe no surprise that this very Northern crowd is very pleased as Andy Burnham confirms that the prime minster’s office would be extended to Manchester – ‘the nerve centre of a rewired Britain’, he describes it as, to another round of applause.