UK’s likely next leader Andy Burnham to unveil economic, devolution plans
Frontrunner to be next PM expected to announce a 10-year mission to raise living standards.
Andy Burnham, the frontrunner to become the United Kingdom’s next prime minister, will unveil his economic agenda in his first major policy speech since Keir Starmer announced his resignation last week.
Monday’s address at a museum in Manchester is being seen as Burnham’s pitch to lead the country after a decade away from Westminster.
Burnham, who returned to Westminster earlier this month after winning a parliamentary seat, is the only declared candidate to replace Starmer, and if there are no other challengers he could take office by mid-July.
Starmer announced he would quit two years after winning a large Labour majority as his popularity sank.
Burnham, who rose to prominence as mayor of Greater Manchester and has been dubbed the “King of the North”, will use Monday’s speech to make devolving power to regions and local communities his flagship proposal.
He will also commit to a 10-year mission to raise living standards through reindustrialisation, housing, infrastructure and reform of utilities. The focus would be not just on who governs the UK, but on changing how it is governed, his office said.
“Andy wants communities in every part of Britain to seize their own agenda,” Labour Deputy Leader Lucy Powell told the BBC.
A pro-business socialist from Labour’s “soft left”, Burnham has sought to calm markets by backing the government’s current borrowing limits.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed told Sky News that Burnham was “committed” to the manifesto that delivered Starmer’s large majority two years ago and would keep Labour’s fiscal rules, including balancing day-to-day spending and cutting debt.
He brands his approach “Manchesterism” – business-friendly socialism opposed to trickle-down economics and neoliberalism. He wants to move some government operations to Manchester and favours greater “public control” of transport, water and energy.
He also backs cuts to business rates for pubs and music venues.
If he takes office, Burnham would be the UK’s seventh prime minister in a decade.
But fiscal pressures will be a constraint, with the UK economy struggling from the impact of the war in Ukraine and the US-Israel war on Iran.
Burnham once said the government should “get beyond this thing of being in hock to the bond markets”, but later said he was misrepresented.
His choice of finance minister will be closely watched as a sign of how left-wing his government could be. United States President Donald Trump called Burnham “extremely liberal” and unlikely to open the North Sea to oil and gas drilling.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗
Keir Starmer announced his resignation as UK Prime Minister last week after two years in office. Andy Burnham, who previously served as Mayor of Greater Manchester and returned to Parliament earlier this month, is the only declared candidate to succeed him. If no other candidates emerge, he could take office by mid-July. Burnham will deliver his first major policy speech on Monday in Manchester, outlining an economic agenda centred on devolution of power to regions and local communities, alongside a 10-year mission to raise living standards through reindustrialisation, housing, and infrastructure investment. His approach, which he calls 'Manchesterism', emphasises business-friendly socialism and greater public control of utilities and transport rather than trickle-down economics. Burnham has committed to maintaining the government's current fiscal rules and borrowing limits. If elected, he would be the UK's seventh prime minister in a decade.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗
Frontrunner to be next PM expected to announce a 10-year mission to raise living standards.
Andy Burnham, the frontrunner to become the United Kingdom’s next prime minister, will unveil his economic agenda in his first major policy speech since Keir Starmer announced his resignation last week.
Monday’s address at a museum in Manchester is being seen as Burnham’s pitch to lead the country after a decade away from Westminster.
Burnham, who returned to Westminster earlier this month after winning a parliamentary seat, is the only declared candidate to replace Starmer, and if there are no other challengers he could take office by mid-July.
Starmer announced he would quit two years after winning a large Labour majority as his popularity sank.
Burnham, who rose to prominence as mayor of Greater Manchester and has been dubbed the “King of the North”, will use Monday’s speech to make devolving power to regions and local communities his flagship proposal.
He will also commit to a 10-year mission to raise living standards through reindustrialisation, housing, infrastructure and reform of utilities. The focus would be not just on who governs the UK, but on changing how it is governed, his office said.
“Andy wants communities in every part of Britain to seize their own agenda,” Labour Deputy Leader Lucy Powell told the BBC.
A pro-business socialist from Labour’s “soft left”, Burnham has sought to calm markets by backing the government’s current borrowing limits.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed told Sky News that Burnham was “committed” to the manifesto that delivered Starmer’s large majority two years ago and would keep Labour’s fiscal rules, including balancing day-to-day spending and cutting debt.
He brands his approach “Manchesterism” – business-friendly socialism opposed to trickle-down economics and neoliberalism. He wants to move some government operations to Manchester and favours greater “public control” of transport, water and energy.
He also backs cuts to business rates for pubs and music venues.
If he takes office, Burnham would be the UK’s seventh prime minister in a decade.
But fiscal pressures will be a constraint, with the UK economy struggling from the impact of the war in Ukraine and the US-Israel war on Iran.
Burnham once said the government should “get beyond this thing of being in hock to the bond markets”, but later said he was misrepresented.
His choice of finance minister will be closely watched as a sign of how left-wing his government could be. United States President Donald Trump called Burnham “extremely liberal” and unlikely to open the North Sea to oil and gas drilling.
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗
Andy Burnham is the frontrunner and only declared candidate to replace Keir Starmer as Prime Minister Burnham was Mayor of Greater Manchester and has been dubbed the 'King of the North' He returned to Parliament earlier this month after winning a parliamentary seat Starmer announced his resignation two years after winning a large Labour majority Burnham's Monday speech will focus on devolving power to regions and local communities as his flagship proposal He commits to a 10-year mission to raise living standards through reindustrialisation, housing, infrastructure and utility reform Burnham brands his approach 'Manchesterism' – business-friendly socialism opposed to trickle-down economics He backs greater public control of transport, water and energy Burnham has committed to the government's current borrowing limits and Labour's fiscal rules If he takes office, Burnham would be the UK's seventh prime minister in a decade His approach represents a focus on changing how the UK is governed, not just who governs it Trump called Burnham 'extremely liberal' and unlikely to open the North Sea to oil and gas drilling
Read the full story at Al Jazeera ↗
- Andy Burnham, a former Greater Manchester mayor, is the only declared candidate to replace Keir Starmer as UK Prime Minister following Starmer's resignation
- Burnham will announce a 10-year economic plan focused on devolution, reindustrialisation, housing, and infrastructure reform in a Manchester speech
- His policy approach, branded 'Manchesterism', combines business-friendly socialism with greater public control of transport, water and energy
- Burnham has backed the government's current fiscal rules and borrowing limits to reassure markets