Andy Burnham, leader of the Labour Party, at a speech to party members in central London on Friday. | Pool / via REUTERS
Jul 18, 2026
LONDON/MANCHESTER – Andy Burnham, Britain’s next prime minister, is staking his premiership on a goal that has eluded most British leaders: transforming one of the most centralized countries in the Western world to tackle stubborn regional inequality.
Burnham has promised what he calls the “biggest rebalancing of power our country has ever seen,” shifting power away from central government and giving regional leaders greater control over spending, transport, housing, skills and economic growth.
The ambition, central to Burnham’s vision, carries significant political risks. The work will be vastly complex, there is likely to be resistance from those in central government, and any benefits will take time to flow through.
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