Andy Burnham insisted Britain needs to go back to the 1970s today as he put the 'wealthy' South on notice for his Downing Street takeover.Delivering his first big speech in Manchester, the PM-in-waiting said the country had not been working for 'ordinary people' since before Thatcher. He argued that 'trickle down' economics must be ditched and replaced with a Left-wing concept of 'good growth'. That included more state ownership and the 'biggest council house-building programme since the post-war period'. Echoing the Corbynite slogan 'for the many', Mr Burnham said he wanted to put 'hope in every heart' by 'rebalancing' power and money away from Westminster. He suggested his Government would copy German post-reunification legislation dictating that all states must have 'equivalent living standards'.The 'nerve centre' for his so-called 'Manchesterism' will be a 'No10 North' based in the city - which critics say will be impractical and hugely expensive. But the overwhelming Labour leadership favourite barely gave any hard details of his plans, and did not even take questions from the media. The Daily Mail's sketchwriter Quentin Letts was barred from attending.That sparked a furious response with condemnation that Mr Burnham thinks he can have 'power without accountability'. He has repeatedly fled journalists' attempts to ask about his policies since winning the Makerfield by-election. The presumptive PM has already had to conduct a series of humiliating U-turns. They include dropping a promise of £10billion compensation for so-called Waspi women within hours, and admitting he will not try to rejoin the EU. The set-piece speech - pompously tagged a 'foundational text' by allies - comes as Mr Burnham closes in on No10. He will succeed Keir Starmer in a 'coronation' on July 20 barring the unlikely emergence of a rival challenger. There will not even be a full vote of MPs or party members.In a worrying sign for Mr Burnham, YouGov research released today showed his popularity already dropping. Some 43 per cent had a negative view, against 32 per cent who were positive. That is seven points worse than immediately after his by-election victory. As the changeover in Downing Street nears:Mr Burnham said he would give Britain 'breathing space' against rising costs 'as soon as I can' while pledging not to take 'risks' with the public finances; Kemi Badenoch has warned of a 'summer of chaos' as Mr Burnham works out what he wants to do, with warnings that his ideas just mean 'more tax';The Tory leader said Mr Burnham 'doesn't understand what he's talking about' after he suggested a 'No10 North' based in Manchester, and derided the idea that mayors can solve the country's problems;Analysis has found that a 'wealth tax' being pushed by senior Labour figures would actually wipe billions of pounds off Treasury revenues; MPs have dismissed suggestions from Mr Burnham that the whipping system at Parliament can be abandoned. Andy Burnham put the South and the wealthy on notice today as he gears up for Downing Street Mr Burnham took the acclaim from his supporters in the room after the speech - then walked out without taking any questions Deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell was among the senior figures at the speech today YouGov research today suggested that Mr Burnham's popularity is already dropping Mr Burnham will take over from Keir Starmer (pictured) on July 20 barring the unlikely emergence of a rival challengerThe speech was at the People's History Museum in Manchester. Mr Burnham joked that a blue jacket he wore when he railing against Covid restrictions in 2020 was on display there, but in fact it is thought to be in storage currently.The front row was taken up by regional mayors, including Steve Rotheram, Mayor of Liverpool City Region, Oliver Coppard from South Yorkshire, Richard Parker, from the West Midlands and Tracy Brabin, from West Yorkshire.Lucy Powell, deputy leader of the Labour Party, was among a number of local MPs present, along with Jonathan Reynolds and Afzal Khan.Mr Burnham said the country 'is stuck in a rut and clearly it cannot go on like this'. 'We need to change politics and we need to do it now,' he added.'I am going to break with the more of the same approach... I am going to give Britain the circuit breaker it needs.' Mr Burnham put devolution at the heart of his programme, insisting transferring powers and money to the North from Whitehall will help to generate 'good growth in every postcode'.That could include mayors being able to raise more tax as well as having greater control over welfare and post-16 education.There are fears the blueprint, being worked on by potential Chancellor Ed Miliband, will mean a string of new tax hikes focused on better-off families in the South.Mr Burnham has previously backed a property tax that will punish those with more valuable homes, as well as an increase in capital gains tax and a new 'death tax' to fund social care.He has stridently supported a revaluation of council tax that could result in huge increases in bills in London and the South East.Mr Burnham announced he wants to create a 'No10 of the North' in Manchester - where he was mayor until winning the Makerfield by-election.As PM he would spend a significant proportion of his time there, despite warnings it would require a hugely expensive security operation replicating that at the real No10. It is also unclear how he would be accountable to Parliament at short notice if he was in Manchester. Some Labour MPs are nervous at the prospect of a North-South clash, fearing voters will be furious at being punished for where they live.Mr Burnham argued that investment in regional infrastructure and technical education could pay dividends in 10 years.He claimed the South could benefit in the long-run from giving the North more money.'We will bring about the biggest rebalancing of power our country has 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 investors can back.'It comes from running sound finances, as we have done here in Greater Manchester, which in turn gives businesses the stability and the confidence to invest, increasing their productivity and adoption of new technology.'It comes from placing our universities at the heart of local economies, as all the mayors do, and bringing the innovation-led approach through start-ups and scale-ups. It comes from committing to decent infrastructure in all parts of the UK.'Mr Burnham has backed Labour's 'fiscal rules' but supporters believe they can be circumvented to borrow billions of pounds more.The former Cabinet minister, who was an MP for 12 years before becoming mayor in 2017, admitted that his generation of politicians must take responsibility for the loss of public trust in politics.'Ours is a 10-year mission to raise people's living standards,' Mr Burnham said.'I know people can't wait forever for change. I heard on doorsteps in Makerfield how people need a bit extra now to help with rising costs.'I will do my very best to deliver it, and whilst not taking risks with the public finances, will seek to give Britain some breathing space as soon as I can.'People need to be able to look forward to a night out or a holiday with the kids. People need hope.'Mr Burnham said the challenge for 'ordinary' workers was '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 most, and left people overpaying for the basics'.'Imagine what things could be like if we succeed. Imagine what it would feel like to live in a country wired to work for ordinary people rather than against them.' Meanwhile, frenzied speculation continues over the shape of Mr Burnham's Cabinet - which he is not ready to announce. Rachel Reeves appears to have conceded she will no longer be staying on as Chancellor.Mr Miliband has been widely tipped to succeed her, but some unions, businesses and moderate Labour MPs have been trying to head off the appointment.Mr Burnham said he would not announce any appointments until the end of the leadership election process.'While the political direction I set is not up for negotiation, I will build an inclusive team at the very highest level, so that all parts of the party and the country can see themselves reflected and represented in it,' he said. In a boost for Mr Miliband, deputy Labour leader Lucy Powell - a close Burnham ally - said she thought he would be good at running the Treasury. Mr Miliband was her boss when he was Labour leader.Speculation is mounting that Mr Burnham could also bring back David Miliband, potentially to his old job as Foreign Secretary.