Just a month ago, Andy Burnham stood in the People’s History Museum in Manchester and set out what he would do as prime minister. The central argument was about local control: giving places the ability to shape their own economies rather than waiting for decisions to arrive from Whitehall.
Now that he has the job, he has the power to change where power lies in Britain.
For years, devolution and the regional inequality agenda were the political equivalent of a cult indie band on BBC Radio 6 Music: passionately championed by a small group of enthusiasts, but rarely troubling the mainstream. Now it has achieved something approaching breakthrough success and wider popular appeal.
Under previous governments, the first metro mayors were given various pots of government funding for particular projects, accompanied by their own rules. More recently, Michael Gove helped establish more flexible single settlements.
Burnham’s plans, which will be set out on Friday, reportedly include giving regional mayors a share of income tax revenues from their areas to spend in their area, and possibly doing the same with income from business rates raised locally.
