Will Andy Burnham overlook London to promote those in the North East? This question must be hovering in the minds of many who are aware of the former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s ambitions.
He has long championed greater devolution and this week outlined proposals to give mayors more control over areas including housing, welfare and education. Now, as he is expected to become Prime Minister in the coming weeks, the question seems more pressing.
However, London’s Mayor Sadiq Khan appears more confident about Andy Burnham than many anticipated. He has backed Andy Burnham’s plans to hand more powers to regional leaders, but warned that the capital must not be overlooked as the new Labour leader prepares to take office.
Speaking about Andy Burnham’s agenda, Sir Sadiq said he believed the former Greater Manchester Mayor understood the importance of devolution and the role London plays in the national economy.
“I’ve worked with him in the Cabinet, in the Shadow Cabinet, as a Metro Mayor and even on the football pitch,” Sir Sadiq said.
“He can see the difference we can make working together. I’m looking forward to working with Andy as the new Prime Minister.”
However, the Mayor of London also made clear that he would challenge any policies he believes could damage the capital’s interests.
“My message is the same one that I gave to David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer – when London succeeds, the rest of the country succeeds,” he said.
“I will work with you when it’s in our capital city’s interest, but I will challenge you when it’s not in our city’s interests.”
Sir Sadiq argued that continued investment in the capital benefits the wider country, pointing out that London contributes a significant share of the UK’s tax revenues. “We contribute four out of every £10 in taxes raised by the Government,” he said. “We could contribute even more if there’s more devolution of powers and resources.”
Andy Burnham’s proposals include relocating thousands of civil service jobs out of London and establishing a “Number 10 in the North” as part of efforts to rebalance power across the country.
The plans would also allow combined authorities to retain all growth in business rates generated within their areas, giving regional leaders greater flexibility to attract investment and support economic development.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed said the proposals could also help ease pressure on London’s housing market. He argued that stronger local economies outside the capital would reduce the need for people to move to London for work, helping to ease demand for housing.
Mr Reed said Andy Burnham “understands very clearly that when local areas get more control over decisions that affect them, they are better decisions”.
The debate over devolution is expected to become a major part of Mr Burnham’s early agenda if he enters Downing Street, with regional leaders across England likely to push for greater powers and funding.
For London, the challenge will be ensuring that efforts to spread opportunity across the country do not come at the expense of investment in the capital, which remains one of the UK’s largest economic drivers.
