The Guardian view on Andy Burnham’s speech: Rewiring Britain needs Westminster to give up real power | Editorial

A ndy Burnham is not prime minister of the UK – yet. His speech on Monday at the People’s History Museum in Manchester might be read as campaign fodder. But given his lack of opponents, the race to be Labour leader looks already over. If he enters Downing Street, the oration would be the most serious challenge to the Thatcherite settlement attempted by any prime minister since 1979. In office, it will only become that if he turns the language of devolution and public control into institutional power. For decades, Britain has privileged markets over public provision. It weakened local government and organised the state from the centre. And it treated utilities, housing and industry as best disciplined by private ownership and competition. The financial crash forced Gordon Brown into a necessary repudiation of some of those ideas. But that was an emergency. Since 1979, no prime minister has taken on all three pillars of Thatcherism at once. Mr Burnham’s speech does. “ Rewiring Britain ” is key to his plans. The former Greater Manchester mayor is not asking Whitehall to hand councils a few powers and a cheque. He wants places to take charge of whole systems. That means taking over, say, skills and jobs support, and the money, legal powers and staff that make them work. Whitehall could still say no. But mandarins would have to explain why keeping the power in London would not hold that place back. Manchester’s own story shows that powers alone are not enough. …