Burnham to create ‘No. 10 North’ as U.K. PM, oversee massive decentralisation

Andy Burnham, who is likely to become the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (U.K.) previewed his economic policy on Monday, emphasising devolution of economic powers from London, towards the regions of England, as well as to Scotland and Wales. The former Greater Manchester Mayor, who returned to the U.K. Parliament in Westminster exactly a week ago after winning a byelection, said he would create an extension of the Prime Minister’s office in Manchester — a ‘No.10 North’ — to oversee and enable the devolution.  

Mr. Burnham, whose relative popularity in the Labour Party provided an alternative to current Prime Minister Keir Starmer completing his five-year term, said he would “build the broadest possible coalition of people to lift Britain back up”, during his Monday speech in Manchester.

“I am going to give Britain the circuit breaker it needs by building a more collaborative politics in Westminster, by taking power out of the center and putting it in the hands of the people and places who can use it best,” he said.

Mr. Burnham is, for now, running uncontested to replace Mr. Starmer as Prime Minister and leader of the Labour Party. On Monday, he emphasised his desire for decentralisation, saying Britain was one of the most centralizsed countries in the world, as he presented a picture of the U.K. Parliament not working smoothly the bureaucracy. He promised the “biggest rebalancing” the country had ever seen, with bottom-up regional planning to attract investments.

Mr. Burnham suggested he would adopt a 10-year plan to raise living standards, would focus on skills training as an alternative to university and push for greater public control of utilities. Britain would see the largest public house building program in the post-war era, Mr. Burnham said, as he complained that money from public assistance housing programs was flowing to private landlords .

Mr Burnham has not yet provided details of how he would fund his plans, but reiterated that he would respect the current government’s “fiscal rules”, i.e., the self-imposed spending rules the government committed to. The former Mayor had, previously, ruffled feather in the markets and caused a rise in borrowing costs when he had indicated that the fiscal rules could be relaxed.

“…Whilst not taking risks with the public finances, will seek to give Britain some breathing space as soon as I can,” he said, on Monday.  Mr. Burnham could replace Mr. Starmer by July 17, if no other candidate enters the fray.