Burnham reveals his program to “restructure” the British economy | economy

Andy Burnham, the candidate to lead the Labor Party and form a new British government, revealed in a speech on Monday the features of his program to achieve broad economic and social changes, most notably the transfer of powers from the capital, London, to other cities to give them greater flexibility in implementing development programs.

Burnham, the former mayor of Greater Manchester and nicknamed the “King of the North,” announced the establishment of another Prime Minister’s office in Manchester, in addition to the Prime Minister’s headquarters at 10 Downing Street in London, to be “the center for the restructuring of Britain,” as he described it, and it will bear the name “No. 10 North.”

The Guardian reported that Burnham set three clear tasks for the proposed Prime Minister’s Office in Manchester: increasing public ownership of basic facilities, such as water, energy and housing, re-industrializing large areas of Britain, and regenerating cities while giving priority to areas suffering from marginalization.

The French news agency indicated that Burnham chose to deliver his first speech, since Keir Starmer announced his resignation as Prime Minister, from the Manchester People’s History Museum, which carries great symbolism about the importance of the city to him.

A program to combat the high cost of living

In his speech, Burnham spoke about his plans to support the British in facing the high cost of living, indicating a program in this regard that will be implemented as soon as he takes over as prime minister.

He explained that he listened to the demands of voters in the Makerfield district in England, where he recently won the parliamentary elections, and their need for help to confront rising prices, adding, “People need hope,” and that he will do everything in his power to achieve that.

Burnham faces a difficult task, according to the Telegraph, in financing his new program to support British families, especially with the worsening value of public debt to reach about 3 trillion pounds ($4 trillion).

Burnham’s plan includes the largest municipal housing program since World War II, which are low-cost homes.

A different economic model

In his speech, Burnham criticized the current economic model in Britain, which is based on concentrating a large part of services in London, describing London’s economy as “overheated” as residents suffer from high prices, according to the Financial Times.

On the other hand, Burnham talked about a successful model in Manchester, which is the way the city’s bus network is managed, as it includes private companies operating under the supervision of the city’s mayor.

Burnham also spoke about the experience of the federal government in Germany, which he said can be benefited from, as the federal government is committed to sharing income tax and value-added tax with local regions with the aim of reducing differences between them.

In this context, the French news agency quoted Lucy Powell, a prominent figure in the Labor Party and Burnham’s ally, as saying, “Andy wants the equation to apply throughout the country, so that municipalities across Britain can take control of their own projects and turn them into reality.”

But Burnham reassured the financial markets in his speech, stressing that his program is based on “discipline based on sound public finances,” indicating that he will adhere to the financial rules followed by the current Treasury Secretary, Rachel Reeves, who is expected to leave her position when Burnham forms his new government.

The Financial Times referred to a group of prominent names in the Labor Party nominated to take over the Treasury in Burnham’s team, including Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, Energy Minister Ed Miliband, and former Health Minister Wes Streeting.