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Andy Burnham, speaking in the House of Commons for the first time since assuming the role of prime minister, pledged to introduce measures aimed at increasing public control over essential services. He criticized the trajectory since the 1980s, which he described as a series of misguided decisions that resulted in the privatisation of economic power in the UK. Highlighting the water sector as an example, Burnham referred to it as a “leaking monument” to privatisation, characterizing it as a system run more in the interest of private entities than the public.
In his address, Burnham reaffirmed his view that political authority had become overly centralised and expressed his intention to extend devolution powers to more English regions. He emphasized his previous experience as mayor of Greater Manchester, suggesting that devolving power to local areas outside London fosters economic growth. However, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch challenged his vision, accusing him of promoting “more government control, more taxes and more politicians,” and dismissing his economic strategy as flawed. Badenoch further cautioned that the prime minister’s role would involve difficult trade-offs, unlike his previous position as mayor.
Burnham, who took office on 20 July shortly before the parliamentary summer recess, used Tuesday—the first sitting after the break—to outline his priorities and field questions from MPs. Acknowledging that “Britain is not where we would wish it to be,” he nonetheless pledged to renew national optimism. Drawing on a decade-long absence from Parliament, Burnham offered a diagnosis of the country’s problems, attributing them to political centralisation, economic privatisation, deindustrialisation, austerity measures weakening local councils, and the economic stagnation following Brexit.
Although he has refrained from advocating full nationalisation, Burnham indicated he would soon present a plan to enhance public oversight in sectors such as water and energy. Responding to questions about the water industry’s challenges, he described the consequences of its privatisation as “very regrettable” and suggested that reversing the damage would be difficult. He also reaffirmed his commitment to expanding devolution agreements across England, acknowledging some regions’ reluctance to adopt elected mayors, as in Cornwall’s case. He promised to work with local authorities whether they agreed to mayors or not and expressed interest in exploring similar models of devolution for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
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