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Andy Burnham is set to deliver a significant policy address later today, marking his first major speech since announcing his candidacy for prime minister. Speaking from Manchester, he plans to unveil a proposal for a “No 10 North,” a new body aimed at fostering economic growth throughout all nations and regions of the UK. Central to his vision is a strong emphasis on devolution, which he intends to place at the core of his government’s agenda.
In his speech, Burnham will outline a “10-year mission” focused on boosting living standards and tackling youth unemployment, with the goal of restoring Britain to its rightful place. Should no other Labour MPs come forward to contest the leadership, Burnham is anticipated to assume the role of prime minister on 20 July. Despite growing pressure from opposition parties, he has yet to clarify his cabinet appointments or indicate whether he plans to diverge from Labour’s 2024 manifesto.
Burnham is expected to argue that the government needs to provide a “circuit-breaker” to address shortcomings in public trust toward politics. He will advocate for decentralizing decision-making powers to regional and local communities, promising economic prosperity in every postcode. On fiscal policy, he has indicated his intention to uphold the rules laid out by the current Chancellor, Rachel Reeves — whom he would likely replace as prime minister. These rules require that everyday government spending be funded through tax revenue instead of borrowing, with a commitment to reducing national debt as a proportion of GDP by the end of this parliament in 2029-30.
With substantial budget constraints and high borrowing costs, Burnham and any future prime minister face limited financial flexibility to pursue ambitious policy goals. Speaking at a conference on 25 June, Reeves urged him to maintain her fiscal approach, emphasizing that it was “beginning to bear fruit,” and expressed support for his advocacy of “fiscal devolution.” However, some members of the Labour left have called for more relaxed fiscal constraints to allow increased spending. Possible contenders for the chancellor role under Burnham include Ed Miliband, David Miliband, Wes Streeting, or Shabana Mahmood.
Burnham is also facing pressure to commit to raising defence spending. Before any new prime minister takes office, the government plans to release its defence investment plan, detailing a multi-billion-pound funding boost. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, former Chief of the Defence Staff, has urged Burnham to pledge to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035. Speaking on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Radakin advised Burnham to “keep our country safe” and treat the role as akin to a wartime prime minister by investing in what protects the nation.
Responses to Burnham’s forthcoming speech have been mixed. Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake criticized the plan, arguing that Burnham’s “big idea is to shuffle power between politicians” instead of focusing on welfare reform, tax cuts, or adequately funding defence. He described it as “the politics of distraction” by a Labour Party avoiding substantive issues. Similarly, a spokesperson from Reform UK dismissed the speech preview as “a lot of words for no actual concrete changes,” accusing Burnham of replicating Starmer’s approach of “all talk, no action.” Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey cautioned that Burnham has “a very short window to turn this government around,” warning against repeating past failures where similar rhetoric failed to bring meaningful change
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