‘Number 10 North’ | Andy Burnham VOWS to 're-wire' Britain in RADICAL plan to power regions

Wow, what a welcome. Good morning, everyone. Are you ready for this? I sound like I used to sound when I used to DJ across this great city, and I'm probably Doing that because I miss you so much. I miss all of you. I miss all of you. I miss this place, the people. You were simply brilliant to me during my nine years as Mayor. I could not have asked for better support. You were with me every step of the way, and I will Never forget what this place did for me. It's been such a wrench to leave that I've had to get special permission from what people in Westminster call my Manchester attire. I've had to obtain special permission to wear them this morning. Sorry, Kemi, about that. However, I have bowed to public pressure on one front. I've bought some new running shorts. It was either do that or Change the decency laws and I chose the former. But I can't tell you how glad it makes me. that we meet at this great moment in one of my favorite places on earth, the People's History Museum. It holds real significance for me, and it's not just because one of my old coats is in a glass case. case upstairs, and can you believe it comes in second place alongside Michael Foote's infamous Donkey jacket. It's because these galleries tell the story of our country better than anywhere else. How over time it has not been operated in the interests of the many and how ordinary people have fought to change that status quo and make it fairer. Today we must take inspiration from that history and get ready to repeat it. The time has come to build the broadest possible a coalition of people to lift Britain back up to where we all want it to be. What hope can we have that it will be different this time? That's the question I would be asking. If I were a voter right now, this is the answer I would give as clearly as I can today. and in doing so provide the new direction the country is seeking. After 10 years of political turbulence since Brexit and 20 years of declining living standards Since the 2008 financial crash, Westminster hasn't been working for people, and it hasn't I've been working for a very long time. In fact, it's broken, and as a result, the country isn't where it should be. It should be. It's stuck in a rut, and clearly, we can't go on like this. My generation of politicians including me must take responsibility. We have not been good enough, but instead of being Honest about the fact that the parties have continued with politics as usual, finger-pointing, and point-scoring. That might matter less in a world where people's lives are improving. but when they are not, it is dangerous and destructive of what remains of public trust In politics, we cannot go through another decade like the one we have just had. We need a new determination to raise the living standards of every single person in this land. And we must accept that to do that, to fix the economy and the country, we need to change politics. And we need to do it now. So let me state my clear intention as I put myself forward. True to the motto of this city, I am going to do things differently. I am going to break with The more of the same approach that has brought us here, the more I am going to give Britain the circuit breaker. it requires building a more collaborative politics in Westminster, by taking power out of the center and placing it in the hands of the people and places who can use it best and in doing so, creating a new sense of agency, possibility, and hope spreading throughout the country. We will make politics work for you and the place where you live. I know it can be done. because we've done it here. When I started as mayor in 2017, we set out to build a new an approach, a new politics based on the exact opposite of the Westminster approach. Place first, not party first; problem solving, not point scoring; long term, not short term. A decade later, it's incredible how much we have been able to achieve by working together. instead of fighting against one another. The Greater Manchester Way is based on strong partnership among all sectors—public, private, community, voluntary, academic— faith and our trade unions. We ask everyone to face the same direction and then pull in that direction. same direction together. Let me give you an example. When we realized the last Conservative The government had done something significant by introducing 45-day work placements for young people. people connected to T levels, we have set ourselves the mission of finding one for every young person who wanted one. Throughout last year, we contacted our businesses across the city region. and with the help of hundreds of companies, we delivered our goal of 1,000 additional work placements. That's 1,000 additional young lives transformed every year, and it demonstrates what a place can achieve when it works together. As one. For Britain to return to where it should be, those same principles need to be applied now. to how we run the country, pull in the same direction, move forward together. But let's not kid ourselves, this is not as easy as it sounds. Westminster and Whitehall are set. up for conflict, and they require radical change if the country is to get back on track. I left Westminster a decade ago alongside the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Steve Rotherham. because we could clearly see it simply wasn't working for the North West of England and the people here and indeed other parts of Britain, the same thing. The Parliament I returned to on Monday is full of good people, many of whom are here in the audience today, members of Parliament who have joined us, and they are working hard every day trying to do the right thing for the places what they represent. But it's hard, it's too hard for them to bring about change. Why? Because power is not in the hands of those places that they represent but held by an insufficiently accountable, outsource state. We are one of the most over-centralized countries in the world, and worse, that over-centralized heart of the country is not pulling in the same way but in different directions. That is the reality of Westminster now, both within our parties and between them and between the departments of Whitehall. I'll be honest, I was worried about What I found upon my return last week. It is a more fragmented, disjointed place than the one I left. and frankly unhappier. I will work hard to change that culture, leading from the front and showing how things could be different. Allowing MPs to be genuine representatives and not using the a whip system designed to instill fear or shut down debate. Involving more people in the work of government and drawing on the breadth and depth of talent and expertise our party has to offer. While the political direction I have set is not open to negotiation, I will build an inclusive team at highest level so that all parts of the party and the country can see themselves reflected and represented therein. And may I say, I will not announce those decisions regarding appointments. certainly not today, and indeed not until the end of this process. So until then, Feel free to disregard the wild speculation circulating. Message for the back of the room there. Good morning, Mr. Mason. I will reach out to other political parties to find as much common ground as we can and build. that more collaborative approach I mentioned a moment ago. So, a greater sense of unity in Parliament will then enable us to provide a clearer sense of direction to Whitehall. I was struck by recent comments from ministers expressing their deep frustration. the Whitehall turf wars. Like Parliament, the civil service is full of good people trying to do The right thing, but they are held back by the structure and culture in which they have to work. It is too adversarial, and too much time is wasted with departmental silos battling each other. other and fighting against the Treasury instead of getting things done. How can the country pull in the same direction when that is the reality at the very top? And as mayors, I'm sure I speak for the front row here, as mayors, we have felt similar frustration over the years when those departments constantly pushed back against our legitimate requests to improve our facilities delegating a portion of the power and resources they possess. The truth is, the country spends Too much time arguing and not enough time doing. I'm not sure this Whitehall culture could ever be. was justified. It wasn't justified when I was a minister almost 20 years ago, but it certainly is now. cannot be justified now. The stark imbalance in resources between the national government and local authorities The government is holding back growth. If councils can't fix potholes, what chance do they have? of advancing major regeneration projects to stimulate economic growth? While the national government has gotten larger, particularly since the pandemic, local government is stretched thin and without the resources to fulfill even statutory responsibilities. This is not just bad for councils and the areas They serve, it is harmful everywhere. It is harmful to London and the South East. The entire country suffers when regions and nations fail to reach their potential and Londoners are left behind with an overheated economy and an overcrowded housing market. It is actually detrimental to the nation. government as well, because we will never get growth up to the level that Britain needs unless every No single postcode in the country is set up to contribute to it. This country hasn't thought in that way. Previously, but with the implementation of a field test at the heart of decision-making, it will do from now on. To make it happen, we will bring about the greatest realignment of power our country has ever seen. It is time for Whitehall to accept that growth cannot be ordered from the top down. Instead, It can only be nurtured from the bottom up. It comes from having the power at ground level to make a real difference, from a clear shared vision that everyone can understand and that investors can believe in back. It stems from managing finances responsibly, as we have done here in Greater Manchester, which has turn gives businesses the stability and confidence to invest, increasing their productivity and adoption of new technology. It stems from positioning our universities at the heart of local economies, as all mayors do, and by driving an innovation-led approach through start-ups and scale-ups. It stems from committing to decent infrastructure across all parts of the UK and achieving national investors to support the ambitions set forth by regions. It stems from providing people with the security of a good home and good employment, so that they can be as productive as possible, from good mobility and the ability to afford the basics. And it stems from not leaving everything to the market, but public intervention where necessary to set higher ambitions for towns, as we did in Stockport and kickstart the process of change. This is money. I'm joined now by the founder and CEO of Tally Money, Cameron Parry. So what is Tally Money and what does it do? So you get an everyday account in your individual name, you receive an account number and sort code, but instead of having a an account denominated in pound sterling with your bank, you have milligrams of gold which we brand as Tally. The reason we chose gold is that everyone understands gold—it's universally understood and Accepted. It has been increasing at an average rate of over 11% over the past 25 years against the pound. in the last two years it has risen 60% against the pound. So if you had £10,000 in a Tally account Two years ago, it was worth £16,000. The gold hasn't changed, but the value has. and your purchasing power has. And thus, banks cannot keep up with that performance. How easy is it to Get a Tally Money account then? If you're a UK resident, it's really easy. Just go to your app. Store, download the app, you'll need a photo ID, and you can onboard yourself in a couple of minutes. Just your passport, your driver's license? Yeah, and you're off and running. So you know what you're doing. Getting it's very simple, low fees, it's transparent, there are no hidden fees, there are no FX spreads depend on the amount you invest, and you can simply go ahead and be productive in your daily life, build up your savings again because it's useful to do it now. I was going to say, So you're not, you don't necessarily have to worry—people are watching and going, oh, it sounds a bit scary. You can open a Tally Money account and make transfers; is there a minimum amount you have to transfer? So you might think, I'm just going to play with this, I'm going to put £100 in it that I've got This month and I'm either going to spend it to see if I feel like I'm getting more value for money. from the things I'm buying or I'm going to save it and see how that compares to maybe £100 in your current account. To find out more and to get an exclusive GB News offer, simply scan the QR Code or click the link in the description. Manchesterism, I think I even saw the mayor. of Liverpool applauding that. It is a vision for positive growth and a rejection of the past. trickle-down model and the ideas this museum celebrates, which took root here and transformed the country. So all parts of the UK should now be given the chance to develop their own version. of the same, focusing on what matters most to them. Good growth in every British postcode. What a sea change that would be in the way the UK government thinks about our own country. places no longer forgotten or written off as they have been in the past, but supported to make the best of their assets, seeing the positives in every place. And there are positives in every place. in all postcodes across this United Kingdom. Let's always remember that. Powers for our rural economies to address issues specific to them, such as inadequate transportation. Powers for areas undergoing industrial transition, such as Port Talbot, Scunthorpe, and Aberdeen. Powers for our proud coastal towns to reimagine themselves for the 21st century. And yes, more powers for London too, over education and housing, so that London can do more for itself and remain the world's greatest capital city. And you heard that here from Manchester. All of it backed by stability that stems from sound public finances, as I mentioned earlier, and the discipline of our current fiscal policy Rules. I hope people can begin to feel, hopefully you can, some of the excitement. that comes with the change I am announcing today. It promises a new era of possibility. for Britain. Possibility in places that haven't felt it for a very long time. And I know because I heard that from people on doorsteps during the by-election. But let's give them that feeling, that ability to hope, to aspire to something better. The change will be the greatest change in our lifetimes to the way the country is run, and it is consistent with the 2024 manifesto. We will create a more streamlined state with a clearer purpose. To power up all parts of the country and put a laser-like focus on growth and regeneration. Good growth. The change will be driven through the Prime Minister's office in an extended operation based here in Manchester. But here's the crucial point. It will only be based here. The responsibility of Number 10 North will be to make power flow into the Midlands, into the South West, into the East of England. And yes, into London, as I said before, as much as into the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, and here in the North West. It will be about offering new opportunities to extend evolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by taking power further down. The people of Dundee and Bangor feel just as distant from Holyrood and the Senedd as they do from Westminster. Now get this. Number 10 North will be the nerve centre of a rewired Britain. It will be the conduit through which we redistribute power and resources across the UK. It will coordinate all parts of government. at the national and local levels to agree on a long-term economic strategy and help all places set new growth ambitions. It will be given a mission to strive for equivalent living conditions everywhere. parts of Britain, drawing on the German Basic Law. It will make place-based collaboration the new operating principle for UK PLC, requiring all government departments and agencies to support strategic and local authorities with staffing and resources. And let me say this very directly. And let me say this very directly. The days of Whitehall resisting the transfer of devolution powers are over. The regions and nations are over, for good. I've had ten years of fighting the Whitehall machine. blocking the progress of this place, the progress of the people here, and I am simply not prepared to accept the same for any area coming after Greater Manchester. The entire Whitehall will now be required to get behind our positions and work together with them to achieve faster, more coordinated results decisions. Ours will be a 10-year mission to raise living standards across the land. To do this, Number 10 North will support the regions in three clear tasks. Reform of essential utilities, re-industrialization and the regeneration of places. On utilities, we will ensure all parts in the UK are able to take greater public control of essential services such as water, housing, and energy and transportation, learning from the model that has transformed our bus networks here in Greater Manchester. We will unveil 10-year plans to reduce the cost of these essentials for individuals, families and businesses. On re-industrialization, we will support every region to set clear and credible industrial ambitions and provide the support needed to achieve them, encouraging greater cross-UK collaboration partnership between locations with complementary industrial clusters, such as Cambridge and Manchester have done in life sciences. We will consolidate public and private investment at a place-based level and help all areas establish strong growth funds, as we have done here in Greater Manchester. We are such an inventive country, and going forward we can be the world's leading Innovation nation. This is the key to higher growth, and I want more world-beating British. manufacturers and service providers at the forefront of new technology and exporting to the world. I will support our scientists, technologists, entrepreneurs, and creatives, as I have done here, and demonstrate how Britain will become the innovation nation of the next decade. We will become better at capturing the full value of their ideas for UK plc by changing the culture in Whitehall when it comes to supporting British industry. For too long, the UK public the procurement policy has been based on chasing cut-price deals around the world, rather than helping our own British-based suppliers become more stable and competitive. No more. From here onwards on, every pound raised from taxpayers will work harder for them, and that approach will apply fully to the defense investment plan. We will make sure that all eligible public contracts are subject to appropriate social value weighting. And we will do so to ensure British-based Companies are in a better position to win those contracts. This change is essential. given the need to build our own resilience in places across the country in an increasingly an uncertain world. We need to safeguard sovereign manufacturing and production capabilities across the country in critical sectors such as steel, defense, energy, food, and agriculture, rather than just being prepared to let it go, as we have sadly done in the past. In return, we will recycle maximum benefits for our communities and our residents. For instance, by requiring a much a greater supply of 45-day work placements and apprenticeships for young people. I take very seriously the findings of the recent report by Alan Milburn. We need a complete rethink of how We support the next generation to succeed, and it must begin with the education system. The days of a school system configured entirely around the university route will be brought to an end. End. University is great for those who want it. But when are we going to focus on life chances? Of those kids who want something different? When? The country hasn't done that in a long time. a long time. People have argued for many years about an education system based on parity between academic and technical. And that is what we will build, providing every young person growing up here a clear path into a re-industrialized Britain. Where young people need mental health support, It should be provided as part of in-work support. And we will answer the call from the Mayors. and particularly the Mayor of the North East, for the devolution of employment support. And changing the way we support and sustain people's employment. Working much more through our community and voluntary sector at a grassroots level. Working with organizations People trust them to help them, rather than going to places they fear. This is the difference. that mayors can implement. And by doing so, we will reduce the welfare bill in a manner that is fair and enduring, and helps people move forward. Another way to achieve this is by repairing the public housing stock. Britain has lost almost one and a half million council homes since the 1980s. And approximately the same number of people are currently on housing waiting lists, and have been there for a very long time. As a result, the country is in a housing trap. We are forced to chase rents in the private rented sector through the benefits system. When governments attempt to control these costs by freezing local housing allowances, It leaves families homeless and imposes unfunded pressures on councils when they have to pay. for temporary accommodation. Britain's housing crisis is having a ruinous impact on its public finances. Therefore, working with local areas, Number 10 North will oversee the largest council housing project building program since the post-war period. We will use public land, vacant public land, to reduce costs. Let me take you back to when I grew up here in the 1970s. And Steve Rotherham and I have written about this in a certain book. But when we were growing up here, Among the friends we had at school, there were two things that were the foundations of Working-class aspiration. A council home, a secure home that was the foundation for everything. And then good technical education. And those things have been taken away. in the decades since. No wonder so many young people struggle to make it work and then don't Make it work. Don't blame them. Blame ourselves. We haven't been providing people with this stability. this ability to get ahead in life. And it's time we did and brought back working-class aspiration, the chance of someone growing up here to become everything they can be. And that's what We'll do it. And also make this a city where no one has to leave to get ahead in life or any of that. other cities represented here today. That's what this new era is going to be all about. A sense of hope, of the possibility that things are achievable that you might not have thought were possible before. And having this focus on council homes again, and building them in all parts of the country, It will mark a decisive shift toward a more preventive and productive state. Adopting a national housing first philosophy that has been so successfully pioneered In Finland. If you don't give people a good home, what chance do they have of having a good life? What chance is there of making the health service sustainable if people are not living in good health? accommodation or getting a good education for children? Everything starts with a good home. And This country finally has to put that at the top of its priority list. Through this new approach, we will introduce higher-density residential development to our towns. And Number 10 North will be able to support all places in turning around those towns, their height streets and local centers. Increasing footfall on the high street and protecting more green space spaces from development. To reinforce that, we will reform business rates to support pubs. and high street businesses—businesses that bring social benefits to communities. And let me conclude by saying this. Rather than being a sign of decline, Shouldn't we make our high streets the new symbol of Britain's renaissance? Our mission spans 10 years to improve people's living standards. I know people can't wait. forever for change. I heard on doorsteps in Makefield how people need a bit extra now to help with rising costs. I will do my very best to deliver it. And while not taking risks With public finances, we will seek to give Britain some breathing space as soon as possible. People need to be able to look forward to a night out or a holiday with the kids. People need hope. This brings me back to where I started and the stories told in this building about how ordinary people, right back to Peterloo 200 years ago here, changed a British state not built for them in mind. Our modern challenge is exactly the same. An economy which, from the mid-1980s onwards, has not been built with them in mind and instead has handed more to those who already have the most and left people overpaying for the basics. If people in 1844 could form the cooperative movement in Rochdale to lower the price of food, then why can't we act now with similar courage to make life better? Imagine what things could be like if we succeed. Imagine what it would feel like. I would like to live in a country wired to work for ordinary people rather than against them. Imagine if all local areas could build homes people could afford, to the point where they could guarantee one for everyone. Imagine if we could lower the cost of energy for people and businesses and the positive outcomes that would result from it. Imagine strong growth in every postcode and hope in every heart. I'll say it again. Imagine good growth in every postcode and hope In every heart. Well, imagine no more. Let's make it happen.