Faisal Islam: Andy Burnham has big ideas – but at what cost?

More broadly, Burnham has said he will release a 10-year plan for the country and the economy later this year, likely detailing his broad plans for decentralisation, devolution and rebuilding Britain.

Normally, you would expect a significant infrastructure program with such plans, but Burnham wants to support the Defense Investment Plan, a multi-billion, multi-year spending commitment for the UK military. How does he study this?

Also, the first step in the door will be a national plan to eliminate rough sleeping, he said.

The same was promised in Greater Manchester, but some early progress has been made in contrast in recent years. When I asked him about this in February, he said that more money and powers are needed from the central government to deal with the growing problem. In his first job as Prime Minister, Now he has spent money to solve the problem. from the housing budget.

The long-term answer, he said, is mass council building. This will take years to feed.

Security is another critical challenge. Here, I’m told, Burnham shows progress toward what he calls “sustainable reform.” This will rely heavily on Alan Milburn’s review, which may recommend a higher job support fund and mental health support for young workers to reduce welfare bills.

This can be achieved by local mayors who know what works in their region. Burnham hopes to show markets to deliver welfare reforms that eluded former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.

This is the controversy of the new Prime Minister. He faces the same manifesto and borrowing regime restrictions as his predecessor, but he clearly wants to do more. He says Britain’s recycling will help the economy grow, but many of these solutions could take years.

And as the recent rapid turnover of prime ministers and chancellors shows, even thinking about it a few years ago can feel like a luxury.