Andy Burnham will later make a major political speech, his first since bidding to become Prime Minister, in which he will announce plans to create “No. 10 in the North.”
Speaking in Manchester, Burnham is expected to say the body will be tasked with driving growth “across all countries and regions of the UK” as it pledges to put devolution at the heart of its agenda for government.
He will set out commitments to a “10-year mission” to improve living standards, as well as proposals for youth employment to “get Britain back to where it needs to be”.
If no other Labor MP stands as leader, Burnham is expected to become prime minister on July 20.
He has faced calls from opposition parties to set out his plans, confirm who he intends to appoint to his cabinet and explain whether he will deviate from Labour’s 2024 manifesto.
In his speech on Monday, Burnham is expected to say the government must “give Britain the circuit breaker it needs” and give his views on why public trust in politics is low.
He will say decision-making needs to be “shifted to regions and local communities” and promise “good growth in every postcode”.
Burnham has signaled he will adhere to financial rules set by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, whom he is expected to replace if he becomes prime minister.
The rules stipulate that day-to-day government spending will be covered by tax revenue rather than borrowing, and a commitment to achieving lower debt as a share of national income by the end of this Parliament in 2029-30.
Pressure on the government budget and high borrowing costs mean Burnham or any potential prime minister has little financial leverage to achieve policy goals.
Speaking at a conference in London on June 25, Reeves urged Burnham to stick with his economic approach, saying it was “starting to bear fruit” and also backed his approach to “fiscal devolution”.
But some Labor MPs on the party’s left have called on him to relax Reeves’ self-imposed rules to allow him to increase spending.
He is reportedly considering Ed Miliband, David Miliband, Wes Streeting or Shabana Mahmood as possible replacements for Reeves.
Burnham also came under pressure to increase defense spending.
The Government is due to publish its Defense Investment Plan (DIP) before the new Prime Minister takes over from Sir Keir Starmer, which includes a multi-billion pound increase in funding.
On Sunday, former chief of the defense staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin called on Burnham to commit to increasing defense investment to 3.5% of GDP by 2035 if he becomes prime minister.
Asked what his advice to Burnham would be, he told the BBC Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme: “It’s (to) keep our country safe, to recognize that you have this singular responsibility – so you’re almost like a wartime prime minister at the moment.”
“And that means you need to invest in things that actually keep us safe.”
Responding to the upcoming speech, Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said Burnham’s “big idea is to shuffle power between politicians” rather than introduce welfare reforms, tax cuts or “fund the defense our country desperately needs.”
He continued: “Just more powers, more committees, more processes. This is a policy of distraction from the Labor Party that deliberately avoids the issues that really matter.”
A Reform UK spokesman said the speech preview consisted of “a lot of words without any concrete changes”, adding: “It’s clear Burnham has taken a leaf out of Starmer’s book – all talk, no action.”
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey warned that Burnham only has “a very short window of time to turn this government around” as the country “looks forward to change.”
“People have heard this kind of talk before only to be very disappointed because nothing changes – Burnham must not repeat that mistake,” he said.