Andy Burnham tipped to vow more money for the North and devolved mayors as he prepares for No10
Andy Burnham is expected to vow more money for the North in his first major speech since announcing he would stand for Labour leadership.The former Greater Manchester Mayor, who is a long-standing proponent of devolution, is set to say on Monday he would move funds away from central government to England's regions if he becomes Prime Minister. The self-proclaimed 'King of the North' is also expected to give regional mayors more control over social housing, welfare and post-16 education as part of his plans to boost economic growth. This in turn would reduce the dependency of the North and Midlands on tax 'handouts' from London and the south-east.According to the Office for National Statistics, people in London pay an average of £24,400 in tax but get back just £19,500 in spending on public services. Meanwhile in the North West, taxpayers on average contribute £12,700 but get back £17,300 in public spending. The newly elected MP for Makerfield is expected to spend much of his premiership in a 'No10 of the North' to show his commitment to rebalancing the economy. He is also said to be planning a 'devolution-first' agenda in Whitehall, where departments would be expected to assess which funding areas they could hand over to regional governments. Andy Burnham is expected to vow more money for the North in his first major speech since announcing he would stand for Labour leadershipMr Burnham's proposed agenda would be in line with the views he set out in his book, Head North, alongside his friend and fellow mayor Steve Rotheram.In the book, Mr Burnham said the current system saw regional leaders going 'on bended knee' to Westminster and called for a 'more balanced approach, where councils and mayors were dealt some cards too'.A source familiar with the plans told The Times: 'It's going to be about serious economic rebalancing. 'He's very clear that it's not about obsessing over Manchester but about the north as a whole.'He wants the speech to give an answer to why the country doesn't work and that includes being honest that the economic failure of the north costs Londoners a lot of money. The reality is that it affects everyone.'An insider close to the former Greater Manchester mayor said his speech on Monday was yet to be finalised. Nominations for the leadership close on July 16, and if Mr Burnham is the only candidate he will be formally declared Labour leader at a special conference the following day.But precedent states he will not become Prime Minister immediately, with the handover taking place on the next working day, July 20.Meanwhile, Mr Burnham continues to mull his future cabinet.Rachel Reeves appears to have conceded she will no longer be staying on as Chancellor despite making a thinly-veiled pitch for a big role earlier this week.Several senior ministers including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Energy Secretary Ed Miliband are reportedly in the running to succeed Ms Reeves.An unlikely alliance of some trade unionists and city traders have reportedly urged Mr Burnham against appointing Mr Miliband as chancellor, because they believe his net zero policies to be damaging.But transport union the TSSA has thrown its weight behind Mr Miliband, saying: 'We believe Ed Miliband has demonstrated that he understands the need for a different approach, one that is prepared to invest for the long term and deliver an economy that works for everyone.'While Mr Burnham's journey to No10 is fast becoming a procession, it has emerged that more than half of Britons would back a new law to force political parties to hold a General Election if they change leader during a Parliamentary term, according to a new poll.The survey shows that 55 per cent of the British public would support a law that would mandate an immediate General Election if the governing party installs a new leader in Downing Street.Three quarters of Conservative voters and 83 per cent of Reform UK supporters would back such a change - while just 1 in 5 of the overall electorate would object to it.It comes after Nigel Farage called for the country to go to the polls 'at the soonest possible date' as he said that Mr Burnham would not have 'any kind of meaningful mandate' if he enters No 10.This sentiment has even been echoed by some in Government, with Home Office minister Mike Tapp calling for a change in the law to guarantee a general election if a PM is forced out early.The survey by Ipsos also paints a picture of a 'disillusioned British electorate', pollsters said, as the UK prepares for its seventh prime minister in ten years.Half of people now worry that the country is 'ungovernable', regardless of who is in power, according to the representative poll of 1,000 Britons conducted after Sir Keir announced his departure.Pollsters said the public mood around a new prime minister is characterised by 'apathy rather than optimism', with 38 per cent of people saying a new leader will make 'no difference' to the overall state of the country.More than half of people expect a new leader to have 'no personal impact on their life' and 56 per cent predict there will be little change to their local area.Pollsters said that these low expectations 'match the public appraisal' of Sir Keir's legacy, with 57 per cent of the public believing that he did a 'bad job' as Prime Minister.
