Burnham promises big change – but gives few clues as to how he will deliver it

He argued that Britain had taken the wrong turn in the 1980s.

“Four decades of neoliberalism” has damaged traditional working-class communities in cities and towns, as well as rural and coastal areas, he said.

This is the promise to undo.

Doing so, he said, would be no less than “the biggest turning point in our politics in 40 years.”

In making this argument, Burnham not only criticizes Thatcherism, but his accommodation with their constituents will not be lost on any Labor MP listening to him clearly believe in the New Labor governments he represents.

In any case, it bears repeating that it’s a very small challenge to appoint your own prime minister three days before a pledge to represent the biggest shift in direction in British politics for four decades.

How will that change the economy?

A few weeks ago, in his only major speech during the leadership election, Burnham said he would devolve power, starting with moving the House of Number 10 Downing Street to Manchester.

We are a few days away from finding out more about how No 10 North will work, and in particular how it will work in conjunction with the Treasury.

It was surprising to say the least when Burnham revealed in the speech that he still hasn’t decided who will hold the top jobs in his team, including the chancellor job.

For some Labor MPs, this will be a sign of indecision.