Burnham speech latest: Labour MP to reveal devolution plan in first major announcement since launching PM bid – UK Times

The Independent’s senior reporter Dan Haygarth reports live from Manchester:

The room at the People’s History Museum is almost full, with less than half an hour before Andy Burnham’s speech begins.

Among those in attendance are city region mayors Steve Rotheram, Kim McGuinness, Richard Parker and Tracy Brabin, as well as northern MPs Alison McGovern and chief whip Jonathan Reynolds among others.

The Independent is stationed on a media balcony at the back of the room and will bring you updates from the speech.

Devolution is “absolutely the way to go” about getting people into work, the former minister in charge of a review into youth worklessness has said ahead of a major speech by Andy Burnham.

Alan Milburn told an event hosted by the Resolution Foundation: “Labour markets are local. Barrow has a particular labour market, it’s just different from the labour market in, I don’t know where, Bournemouth, just a different labour market.

“So there’s got to be the ability somewhere for somebody to own the matching between the supply side and the demand side, because unless that happens at a localised level then you’re going to have a problem.

“You’ll hear a bit about what Andy’s saying in his speech today, which I think is absolutely the way to go around this.”

The Independent’s senior reporter Dan Haygarth reports live from Manchester:

Journalists heading to his major speech in Manchester on Monday have been told they won’t be able to question the incoming PM on his policies.

The Independent’s political reporter Athena Stavrou explains why this is a mistake.

The Independent’s senior reporter Dan Haygarth reports from Manchester:

Andy Burnham will shortly begin his first major speech since returning to Westminster. Plenty of Labour politicians and members of the press have gathered at the People’s History Museum in Manchester to hear Mr Burnham lay out his policies on devolution and the economy.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester is expected to announce his plans for a ‘No 10 North’ in this city, so people may have to get used to the often challenging Avanti train journey they’ve made from Euston this morning.

The key subject of Andy Burnham’s speech will be devolution – the idea of devolving power or decentralising it from national government.

This can mean giving regional government more power on such a level that it would control laws and public services.

Prescription charges, housing and economic development could drastically differ depending on the area in the UK – but would be more within local government control.

The Independent’s political editor David Maddox reports:

The Tory leader has declared: “We are absolutely ready to fight a general election.”

The answer to a question at her speech in London this morning comes amid speculation that Andy Burnham is going to call an early general election.

“It is about uniting the country…winning a general is just the beginning not the end point,” she adds.

The problem for Ms Badenoch is that despite winning the Aberdeen South by-election her party is still languishing below 20 points in the polls.

Reported by Kate Devlin, Whitehall Editor

As the public awaits the now almost certain coronation of Andy Burnham, it is a tense time for Labour ministers – as they scramble to try to keep their jobs.

Every new PM reshuffles their top team.

However, Mr Burnham is unlikely to replace every minister – meaning a fight is on to be one of the ones who stays in place.As part of this effort some ministers are turning to MPs who have been through this churn of PM before – Tories.

At least one former Conservative minister is understood to have been asked for his opinion on how to avoid the chop when the new PM enters No 10.

Advice is thought to have included getting to know key advisers in Burnham’s team and doing a good job in their current department.