UK PM hopeful vows ‘biggest change in our lifetimes’ as he attacks ‘broken’ Westminster system

Andy Burnham, the Labour lawmaker expected to replace Keir Starmer as the UK‘s next prime minister, said he wants to “usher in the ‘biggest change in our lifetimes to the way the country is run'” as he set out plans to devolve more powers from Westminster and Whitehall to mayors and local authorities.

Speaking in Manchester in his first major leadership speech, Burnham argued that Whitehall and Westminster are “broken” and that he would establish a “No. 10 North” in Manchester, tasked with overseeing the devolution of powers and resources.

He said he knew change could be achieved because “it has been done” in Manchester.

Burnham said as mayor he put “place first, not party first,” focused on “problem solving and not point scoring” and “long term, not short term.”

He added that those same principles now needed to be applied to UK politics as a whole, saying Westminster and Whitehall are set up for conflict and require “radical change.” He said he left government after realising it was not working for the north-west of England.

“The whole country suffers when the regions and nations are not meeting their potential. We will bring about the biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen,'” he noted.

He said Whitehall must accept that “growth cannot be ordered from top down” but must instead be driven from the “bottom up.”

He added this must include giving businesses “stability and confidence” to invest, committing to “decent” infrastructure across the UK, and providing security for good homes and employment.

Burnham said No. 10 North would be the “nerve center of a rewired Britain” and that “It will make place based collaboration the new operating principle for UK plc. Let me say this very directly – the days of Whitehall fighting with devolution power into the regions and nations are over for good.”

He described “Manchesterism” as “a vision for good growth and a rejection of the old trickle down model,” adding that all parts of the UK “should be given the chance to develop their own version of the same.”

He called for “good growth in every British post code,” adding that “places no longer forgotten or written off like they have in the past.”

He said there should be “powers for rural economies” to address issues such as “inadequate transport” as well as more powers for areas undergoing industrial transition and coastal towns, along with greater powers for London “over education and housing.”

Burnham said the political direction he would set was “not up for negotiation,” but that he would “build an inclusive team at the very highest level.”

Labour’s ruling body has set out a leadership timetable that could see Starmer’s successor installed as prime minister as early as July 17.

If only one candidate, potentially Burnham, clears the nomination thresholds, they would be announced at a special conference on that date and then appointed by the king. If the contest is contested, a full membership ballot would run in August, with the result due on Aug. 19.