Burnham: I will hand power to the people who can use it best

Hopeful's pledge to 'change politics to work for us'

- BY LIZZY BUCHAN

ANDY Burnham will promise to lead a 10-year mission to drive up living standards as he sets out his plans for the nation today.

With only three weeks to go until he is expected to become Prime Minister, Burnham will pledge to ‐lift Britain back up to where it should be” and “change politics to work for us”.

In his speech in Manchester, he is expected to say: “ I am going to try to give Britain the circuit-breaker it needs by taking power from the centre, giving it to the places and people who can use it best.”

But the former Cabinet Minister will admit his generation has eroded public trust in politics, and must take responsibility for rebuilding it.

Burnham will set out his stall only a week after he was sworn in as MP for Makerfield following a decisive by-election win that set him on course for power.

Keir Starmer announced he would step down last week after his MPs deserted him, paving the way for a coronation for Burnham on July 20 as the prospect of a rival candidate coming forward fades.