Andy Burnham is set to outline his economic agenda on Monday, delivering his first major speech since announcing his bid for the Labour leadership.
The address is expected to champion a radical devolution of power and financial control away from Whitehall.
A long-standing proponent of decentralisation, Mr Burnham will reportedly detail plans to boost economic growth by granting regional mayors enhanced authority over social housing, welfare, and post-16 education, according to The Times. This proposed agenda aligns with the views he previously articulated in his book, Head North, co-authored with Steve Rotheram, Liverpool City Region Metro mayor.
In the publication, Mr Burnham criticised the current system, observing that regional leaders were forced to go "on bended knee" to Westminster. He advocated for a "more balanced approach, where councils and mayors were dealt some cards too". Should Mr Burnham remain the sole candidate for the Labour leadership, this speech would precede his entry into Downing Street by exactly three weeks. Nominations for the leadership close on 16 July, with a formal declaration as leader anticipated the following day if he is unopposed. However, precedent dictates that the handover to the prime minister would occur on the next working day, 20 July.
Meanwhile, Mr Burnham continues to mull his future cabinet.
Rachel Reeves appears to have conceded she will no longer be staying on as chancellor, with several senior ministers including home secretary Shabana Mahmood and energy secretary Ed Miliband reportedly in the running to succeed her.
An unlikely alliance of some trade unionists and city traders have reportedly urged Mr Burnham against appointing Mr Miliband as chancellor, because they believe his net zero policies to be damaging.
But transport union the TSSA has thrown its weight behind Mr Miliband.
Questions also remain over whether Ms Mahmood will remain at the Home Office, with some Labour figures saying he should scrap her proposals to increase the length of time immigrants have to wait to apply for indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
Defence secretary Dan Jarvis became the latest cabinet minister to publicly back Mr Burnham as the likely next prime minister as he spoke to reporters on Saturday.
Mr Jarvis, who served as mayor of the Sheffield City Region while Mr Burnham was Greater Manchester mayor, told the Press Association: “I’ve worked very closely with Andy Burnham.
“He was an exceptional mayor of Greater Manchester and I think he will be an excellent prime minister, he understands the importance of national security and making sure that we’ve got the right amount of resources to invest in our armed forces.
“That is a process that is absolutely underway, but it is on the back of a commitment already to historic levels of defence funding.
“Yes, we want to do more, and the Dip [Defence Investment Plan] will deliver that, and, yes, we want to go further, the other side of the Dip.
“That is well understood by Andy Burnham. It’s well understood by the current prime minister. It’s my job to deliver for defence and that’s what I’m working hard to do.”
Asked whether he would like to keep his job in a Burnham government, he said he was “very supportive” of the Makerfield MP but that decisions on cabinet posts would be a matter for the new leader.
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