Nigel Farage has taken aim at Andy Burnham and devolution, saying: “Ask yourself has devolution in London with Mayor Sadiq Khan made London’s streets safer? No. Has devolution in Wales given them a better NHS or education? No, they are the worst in the country.

“And has devolution in Scotland cleaned up Scottish politics? Well I think the recent jailing of one of the former bosses of the SNP would say no.”

In a video posted on X, Mr Farage said that handing local government more power would do nothing to stop small boats crossings or reduce national debt.

He added: “[Mr Burnham] says it will take 10 years to lift Britain back up to where it needs to be. I would suggest those of us that believe Britain is broken would say we haven’t got 10 years. What the country wants is immediate action.”

Green Party leader Zack Polanski questioned what impact Andy Burnham’s plans could have.

He said: “What is the value of giving local government more powers if it cannot afford to use them?

“We must also challenge the economic model that has concentrated wealth and power in the hands of the few, otherwise the majority of people will continue to be left behind, struggling with an out-of-control cost-of-living crisis.

“Labour has done little to restore council budgets that were slashed under the Conservatives, and Burnham’s commitment today to stick to the so-called fiscal rules ensures continued austerity and cuts to vital services.”

Andy Burnham’s plans for a Downing Street operation in the North of England have been panned by the First Minister of Wales.

Rhun ap Iorwerth warned that such a move would mean “very little to the people of Wales” as he added that the Westminster system was “broken”.

He added: “That is why this Welsh Government set out our expectations on day one that Wales both needs and deserves a fairer settlement on funding and powers. “Wales already has a new government giving people a new sense of agency, possibility and hope on priorities – from cutting waiting lists, to rolling out fully funded childcare, to creating good jobs.

“Regardless of who leads the UK Government, I will be making the same positive case in a constructive manner – fair funding and parity of powers with Scotland must be a bare minimum for Wales, and I look forward to pursuing a respect agenda that works both ways.”

Wes Streeting has backed Andy Burnham’s speech, posting online.

Andy Burnham has been warned that he has a “very short window” to turn his party around.

Liberal Democrat boss, Sir Ed Davey said: “Struggling families and cash-strapped councils desperately need real change.

“We urgently need to shift power out of Whitehall and into the hands of local communities. But that has to mean actually listening to people and councils and giving them a real say over their areas – not imposing a one-size-fits-all answer from the top.

“The proof will be in the pudding. Andy Burnham has a very short window to turn this government around, end the chaos and deliver the change he has promised.”

The number of Britons with an unfavourable view of Andy Burnham is the highest level to date at 43%, new YouGov polling shows.

John O’Connell, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Andy Burnham said that families need breathing space to deal with rising costs, but taxpayers and businesses will fear that this is simply code for more spending rather than much-needed tax cuts.

“With the tax burden heading for a record high, working people are already being hammered by frozen thresholds, higher bills and a government taking more of every extra pound they earn to fund a welfare state that has spun out of control.

“Burnham must ditch the tired clichés and give taxpayers genuine relief by ruling out further tax rises, ending the stealth tax raid and bringing spending under control.”

Andy Burnham gave his speech at the People’s History Museum to around 100 supporters.

Regional mayors sat in the front row, 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, sat across the central aisle from the mayors, one among a number of MPs local to Manchester, including Jonathan Reynolds and Afzal Khan.

Andy Burnham said his plan was a “rejection of the trickle-down model” of economics as he promised “good growth in every British postcode”.

He promised “the stability that comes from sound public finances” and “the discipline of our current fiscal rules”.

Andy Burnham told the Manchester audience: “I take very seriously the findings of the recent report by Alan Milburn.

“We need a complete rethink of how we support the next generation to succeed, and it has to start with the education system.

“The days of a school system configured entirely around the university route will be brought to an end.

“University is great for those who want it, but when are we going to focus on the life chances of those kids who want something different? The country hasn’t done that for a long, long time.

“People have argued over many years for an education system based on parity between academic and technical, and that is what we will build, giving every young person growing up here a clear path into a reindustrialised Britain.”

Andy Burnham said his “10-year mission” would raise living standards across the country.

He said: “To this, No 10 North will support the regions on three clear tasks: reform of essential utilities, reindustrialisation and the regeneration of places.”

It would mean regions being able to take “greater public control of essential services like water, housing, energy, and transport”.

Andy Burnham said his “No 10 North” will oversee the “biggest council house building programme since the post-war period”.

He added: “We will use public land, vacant public land, to reduce costs.

“Let me just take you back to the 1970s… when we were growing up here amongst the friends we had at school, there were two things that were the foundations of working class aspiration: a council home, a secure home that was the foundation for everything, and then good technical education.

“Those things have been taken away in the decades since, so no wonder so many young people struggle to make it work… don’t blame them, blame ourselves.”

Andy Burnham said he will bring about the “biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen”.

The Makerfield MP said power must be transferred out of Whitehall so growth can be “nurtured from the bottom up”.

Speaking in Manchester, he said: “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.”

Andy Burnham confirmed plans to move some of his Downing Street operation to the North.

He said:“No 10 North will be the nerve centre of a rewired Britain.

“It will be the conduit through which we redistribute power and resources across the UK.”

He said Whitehall would be forced to give up power to places across the country.

“Let me say this very directly: the days of Whitehall fighting the devolution of power into the regions and nations are over for good.

“I have had 10 years of fighting the Whitehall machine, blocking this place’s progress, the progress of people here and I am simply not prepared to accept the same for any area coming after Greater Manchester.

“The whole of Whitehall will now be required to get behind our places and work together with them to make quicker, more joined-up decisions.”

Speaking in Manchester, the Labour leadership hopeful said: “I was worried about what I found on my return last week. It is a more fragmented, disjointed place than the one I left and, frankly, unhappier.

“I will work hard to change that culture, leading from the front and showing how things can be different, letting MPs be authentic representatives, and not using the whip system to create fear or close down debate, involving more people in the work of the government and drawing on the breadth and depth of talent and expertise our party has to offer.

“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.”

Andy Burnham addressed ongoing speculation over his Cabinet, saying he would not announce appointments until the end of the leadership election process.

He added: “So until then, feel free to discount the wild speculation in circulation.”

Andy Burnham vowed to “reach out to other parties” if he becomes prime minister.

He said: “I will reach out to other political parties to find as much common ground as we can and build that more collaborative approach I spoke about a moment ago, so a greater sense of unity in Parliament will then allow us to give a clearer sense of direction to Whitehall.”

Andy Burnham said Westminster is “broken” as he promised to give the UK a “new direction”.

In his speech, the Makerfield MP said: “What hope can we have that it will be different this time? That is the question I would be asking if I was a voter right now.

“It is the one I want to answer as clearly as I can today, and in doing so give the new direction the country is looking for after 10 years of political turbulence since Brexit and 20 years of falling living standards since the 2008 financial crash.”

Mr Burnham added: “Westminster has not been working for people and it has not been working for a very long time. In fact, it is broken.

“And as a result, the country isn’t where it should be. It is stuck in a rut, and clearly we can’t go on like this.”

Andy Burnham has taken to the stage for his speech on devolution and the economy at the People’s History Museum in Manchester.

Lucy Powell and Jonathan Reynolds are in the room to watch Andy Burnham give one of the most important speeches of his career.

The room is filled with journalists and other attendees who are waiting to listen to the former Manchester mayor lay out his plans for power.

If no one challenges him, Mr Burnham could take the keys to No10 in exactly three weeks

Ed Miliband should not be the next chancellor, Kemi Badenoch has warned.

The Tory leader insisted that the Energy Secretary, who is leading Labour’s net zero drive, should “absolutely” not be Rachel Reeves’ successor.

She said: “He is the single person who has done the most to deindustrialise our country and make us poorer.”

Kemi Badenoch said Andy Burnham “wants a three-month summer holiday because he needs some time to work out what he thinks”.

The Tory leader said: “The man who will be prime minister in a couple of weeks wants a three-month summer holiday, because he needs some time to work out what he thinks.

“He will spend the next three months with unions and left-wing think tanks demanding policy changes which no one voted for.

“Andy Burnham is already the prime minister in everything but name. He must put an end to speculation, walk into No 10, name his cabinet, and come to Parliament to tell the country what he plans to do.

“Instead, he is allowing speculation and this chaos to run and run. He has clearly learned nothing from the disastrous speculation of Rachel Reeves’ last budget.”

Kemi Badenoch has warned Britain is “heading for a summer of chaos”.

The Tory leader said: “We have a caretaker Prime Minister, barely in office, definitely not in power.

“All major policy and spending decisions have been put on hold.”

Kemi Badenoch says Britain is heading for a “summer of chaos” with a “caretaker” Prime Minister – and says Rachel Reeves should have resigned when Keir Starmer did

Andy Burnham “is going to prove to be a big disappointment”, Reform UK’s Treasury Spokesman Robert Jenrick has warned.

He told GB News: “I’m all for spreading prosperity and opportunity across the country, I’m from the Midlands. I want to see every person in this country have lower energy bills, better prospects, good jobs, benefit from a stronger country. But I don’t see any of that in what’s being announced today. This sounds like it is just a load of waffle.

“Andy Burnham hasn’t even walked into Number 10, and he’s already playing for time. He’s saying it’s going to take him 10 years to turn this country around. Well, people can’t wait 10 years. People want to see radical change now. That is what people are crying out for.”

Andy Burnham is facing criticism as no media questions are expected at his speech this morning.

Former Labour leadership hopeful Wes Streeting, who is now backing Andy Burnham, has praised his devolution plans ahead of the Makerfield MP’s speech.

Mr Streeting said: “The UK remains one of the world’s biggest economies, but it’s also deeply unequal.

“We need more growth engines in more places, with power, wealth and opportunity in every part of the country.

“Andy Burnham’s plans for biggest devolution of power in modern history are spot on.”

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice took to X to hit out at Andy Burnham, who is not expected to take questions from journalists at his speech this morning.

Employment minister Dame Diana Johnson said she would like to see a woman as Labour leader but is backing Andy Burnham.

She told LBC: “Well, I would really like to see a woman leader of the Labour Party.

“It’s quite clear that Andy is able to reach parts of the electorate that we’ve had a problem reaching in the recent past. So I’m going to back Andy this time.”

Andy Burnham is not expected to take questions from journalists after his key speech this morning.

His team blamed a lack of time as the new Makerfield MP is heading straight to Westminster after the address.

Bridget Phillipson insisted it is “absolutely ridiculous” to say she is indulging in class war after criticism by Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

The Education Secretary told Times Radio: “I have always been unashamed to stand up for kids from less well-off backgrounds who I believe should have the brightest of futures ahead of them and I think it is absolutely ridiculous to make that some kind of class war point.

“It is just a straightforward question of fairness of wanting to make sure that children in our country have the best possible life, the best possible experiences and it will benefit us all because we are held back because so many children don’t achieve all they’re capable of.”

Sir Ed Davey warned Andy Burnham had only a “very short window to turn this government around” as the country is “impatient for change”.

The Liberal Democrat leader said: “People have heard this sort of talk before only to be badly let down because nothing changes – Burnham mustn’t repeat that mistake.

“If he’s serious about firing up growth and cutting the cost of living, Burnham must ditch Labour’s old red lines on Europe and take Britain into the single market.

“We will be holding his feet to the fire to finally deliver the change people are crying out for.”

Tory Chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: “Andy Burnham’s big idea is to shuffle power between politicians. Not fix the welfare system. Not cut the taxes strangling working families and British business. Not fund the defence our country desperately needs.

“Just more devolution, more committees, more process. It’s the politics of distraction from a Labour Party that is deliberately avoiding the questions that actually matter”.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch is also giving a speech this morning.

Ahead of her address, she has called on the Government to keep Parliament sitting for at least one extra day so that Andy Burnham does not enter Downing Street without first setting out his plans to MPs and the country.

Andy Burnham will unveil his plans for the economy and devolution in a speech in Manchester this morning.

Britain’s likely next PM will confirm proposals for a “No 10” in the North and ambitions for “good growth in every postcode”.

The Makerfield MP will set out a “10-year mission” to raise living standards through reindustrialisation, housing, infrastructure and reform of essential utilities.

The former Greater Manchester mayor will call for decision-making to be pushed back into local communities as part of his vision to “lift Britain back up”.