Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester mayor widely tipped as the next prime minister, has promised a "radical rewiring" of Britain in his first major speech since Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation. The Metro captures the mood with its front page: "Sparks fly over Andy's 'radical rewiring'" as Burnham vows to "pull plug on rule from Westminster".
The i Paper dubs him the "likely next prime minister" and reports his pledge for a "nerve centre" in Manchester, with more control flowing to mayors and councils. The Guardian splashes a photo of Burnham shaking hands after the speech, headlining "No 10 North" as the heart of his plans. But the Financial Times notes he refused to take questions from the press, highlighting how much of his policy agenda remains uncertain.
“Andy Burnham's first speech since Starmer's resignation promises devolution, council housing, and a 'No 10 North'.”
Burnham's ambitions extend beyond devolution. The Daily Mirror cheers "It's coming homes" — a play on the England football chant — to mark his "massive drive in building of council houses". The Mail adds detail: a focus on factory jobs and state control of the utilities, with Burnham keeping his Wigan property as his main residence, not Downing Street.
Yet the reaction is not universally positive. The Telegraph calls his vision "1970s" and "radical", while the Daily Express quotes Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch saying Burnham's devolution plans cannot "fix the government's inability to get stuff done". The Daily Star offers a free mask cutout of Burnham's face, asking: "Anyone for PM?" with the barb "nobody chose him either."
The Times reports that Burnham pleaded for ten years to "rewire" Britain. In a pitch to Scotland, The Scotsman says he promised more devolution to local areas, a key part of his bid for support across the UK. Channel 4's economics editor Helia Ebrahimi examines the numbers behind the promises, questioning whether his success as Manchester mayor could translate to the rest of the country.
Burnham's speech has set the stage for a leadership contest defined by radical change — but with many unanswered questions about how he would deliver it.