Chris Mason: Burnham is starting to paint his vision as PM.

Andy Burnham will deliver what the group called his “first leadership speech” on Monday morning and promised to “take Britain back to where it used to be”.

In a speech at Manchester’s Public History Museum, the MP for nearby Makersfield says that as prime minister he will “give Britain the circuit breaker it needs”.

His inner circle described his program for the government as a “fundamental text”.

Therefore, it is expected to be broad based.

After this, he is not expected to take any questions from journalists, which may raise some eyebrows because he does not have the power of the electorate.

His team said this would not be part of a “pattern” of avoiding scrutiny – but that it would come later in the campaign.

Central to the plans is giving politicians more power beyond Westminster, in what is being described as “the biggest devolution of power to come out of Whitehall today”.

However, his proposals are unlikely to be as significant as the establishment of Scottish and Welsh parliaments and the Northern Ireland Council, or the introduction of regional mayors in England.

Instead, politicians outside of London are expected to argue that not enough has been done to enable them to do their best.

Associates of the former mayor of Greater Manchester say Burnham’s time in that job has shown him “how resilient Whitehall is to devolution” and he wants that to change.

One idea described as a “flagship proposal” is to create a so-called “No10 North” – the Prime Minister’s operational unit in Manchester.

The aim is that this department will be responsible for “promoting authority” and for the “good development of every postcode” in England.

A source stressed that this would not be a favor to the north of England – it would focus on other regions of England and Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Burnham talks about his desire for what he calls “public control” of energy, water and transportation – but the central question is what he wants to do and in what detail, on what timetable.

How much government intervention does it require and how close to nationalism can it be?

Conservative party chairman Kevin Hollinrack said: “Andy Burnham’s big idea is to mix power between politicians. Not to fix the welfare system.”

“Don’t cut taxes that are strangling working families and British business. Don’t cut the defense money our country so desperately needs.

“Just too much power, too many committees, too many processes.

“It is the politics of distraction from the Labor Party that is deliberately avoiding the questions.”