Will the arrival into Parliament of Andy Burnham - who's done so much to flagship changes and developments of public transport in the Manchester area, and who's a Labour heavyweight make any difference indirectly to the government's direction and approaches to public transport - trains, buses, etc, in the south / west of England and South Wales? 

Manchester (for which Andy is famous) has a high population density (a.k.a. is largely urban).  Would he be inclined to make a difference in urban areas such as Bristol, Plymouth and Exeter or would his influence across the UK spread to areas which are described as "rural" but which are in practice a series of urban townships where most people live, separated from one another by a handful of miles of countryside?

Someone seems to be looking forward to a new regime.......one would have thought however that the more honourable course of action for her to take if she's lost faith in the Leader who appointed her would be to resign herself, as others have?

https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/26212426.swindons-heidi-alexander-first-tell-starmer-go/

Surely its better to have some continuity in government departments during a leadership contest, rather than the modern tory way of mass resignations forcing out a stubborn incumbent. Although that might change if Sir Keir fights on. Which is looking unlikely judging by the 'off the record' statements filltering through media politcal correspondents.

The new leader can then decide on their top team.

Will the arrival into Parliament of Andy Burnham - who's done so much to flagship changes and developments of public transport in the Manchester area, and who's a Labour heavyweight make any difference indirectly to the government's direction and approaches to public transport - trains, buses, etc, in the south / west of England and South Wales?..... 

No.

.... In Torbay it is still Buses only from 0930hrs Mon-Fri.

And any time Saturdays and Sundays?

And any time Saturdays and Sundays?

Andy Burnham could be leader in weeks under Labour timetable

Labour's ruling body has set out the timetable for electing a new party leader which could see Sir Keir Starmer's replacement installed as early as 17 July.

The schedule means Andy Burnham could take over as prime minister from Sir Keir in less than a month, if he continues to be the only MP to enter the race.

Potential candidates have from 9 July to 15 July to collect the backing of 81 MPs and until 16 July to gather the required number of nominations from affiliated bodies such as trade unions, in order to stay in the contest.

If only one candidate meets that threshold, the new leader will be announced at a special Labour conference on 17 July, before being appointed PM by the King.

If more than one MP is able to garner enough support to progress to the next stage, a ballot of Labour party members and affiliated supporters would take place between 6 and 27 August.

Under that scenario, the final result would be announced on 29 August.

(BBC article continues)

Senior Labour figures say party is united behind Andy Burnham

The Labour Party is united behind Andy Burnham as its next leader, two senior party figures have told the BBC.

The party set out a timeline for a leadership contest following Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's resignation earlier this week, but there is scant evidence of support for any contenders other than Burnham.

Former defence minister Al Carns has said a speech on Monday, in which Burnham will set out his economic policy, will decide whether he challenges him for the Labour leadership.

Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell and Housing Secretary Steve Reed, who had stayed loyal to Sir Keir, both said that Labour MPs were backing a coronation of Burnham, rather than a contest.

Powell, the MP for Manchester Central, said that further devolution of powers to local areas would be a priority for Burnham's administration if he won the Labour leadership race. "He's got a really strong agenda about changing that," she said, adding that it was "something that, actually, was in our manifesto but we've really not realised in the scale and speed in which we should have. If we had more control over things like skills and local transportation we could better connect people to all those new job opportunities of the future."

Burnham is expected to give a closely watched speech in Manchester on Monday to outline his economic vision for the country, which will have a strong emphasis on devolution to drive growth and which could be key to winning over potential challengers such as Carns.

On Sunday, Badenoch said Burnham should set out his plans to Parliament in special one-day session before the summer recess, rather than in a speech to supporters on Monday as expected, if he becomes prime minister. She said: "Andy Burnham is days away from taking charge of the country and still has not told people the basics: Will he stick to the Labour manifesto? Will he borrow even more money? Will he fund the Defence Investment Plan so that our country is not at risk?"

She accused Sir Keir of entering No 10 without a plan, and said the country must not be forced to wait until Parliament returns in September to know the plan for the country. Badenoch added: "A speech full of warm words to a friendly crowd is not a substitute for speaking at the despatch box where MPs can question the substance of what he has said. "

A Labour party spokesperson responded by saying: "Labour's ruling body, the National Executive Committee, has set out a clear timetable for the election of the next Leader of the Labour Party. While that process is ongoing, the Labour Government is getting on with the job of delivering the change the country voted for and tackling the cost of living. MPs are able to scrutinise the government in the normal way, as the public would expect."

Andy Burnham plans to work some days in Manchester as PM

Andy Burnham plans to spend some of his working week in Manchester if he becomes prime minister, the BBC has been told.

It is not clear whether he will spend a set number of days there, or whether there will be a more informal arrangement. But he plans to split his time between Downing Street and the North West, it is understood.

In his first speech since launching his Labour leadership bid, Burnham announced on Monday he would create a new "No 10 North" unit in Manchester if he replaces outgoing PM Sir Keir Starmer.

Burnham's allies hope his presence in the city would be a strong symbol of his commitment to devolve power away from Westminster.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester announced his intention to stand to replace Sir Keir last Monday, shortly after being elected as the MP for Makerfield.

So far, he is the only Labour MP to announce a leadership bid. If he remains the sole candidate, he could become the next prime minister as early as 20 July.

Past prime ministers, including Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, have spent some time away from London in their constituencies, but those around Burnham say his arrangements would be different to the norm.

If Burnham chose to not to make Downing Street his main home, he would become the first prime minister since Labour premier Harold Wilson not to reside primarily in the famous London building.

Wilson lived in No 10 during his first term in office between 1964 and 1970, but opted to live at Lord North Street, a short walk from Parliament, during his second premiership between 1974 and 1976.

(BBC article continues)

From the BBC:


Fair enough: Andy Burnham 'working from home' would limit his reliance on train services between Manchester and London - just for example.

He'll have problems making urgent statements in the House then.

“You go from deregulation to regaining public control, it’s just unbelievable what becomes possible,” said Andy Burnham.

Mark


https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/05/burnham-uk-transport-bee-network-manchester-buses-rail

Andy Burnham set to be next Prime Minister as 322 Labour MPs back him in first nomination tally

Andy Burnham has taken another step towards becoming the next Labour leader and prime minister, after the vast majority of Labour MPs nominated him to replace Sir Keir Starmer.

Burnham's Labour leadership bid has been backed by 322 Labour MPs as he remains the only declared candidate after nominations began on Thursday.

It makes him just one short of the 323 needed before it is mathematically impossible for a rival to run against him. Some MPs say they were not able to vote on Thursday, but would back Burnham once they are back in Parliament.

If no one else enters the contest, as expected, Burnham will be declared Labour leader next week before taking office as prime minister on 20 July.

(BBC article continues)

That's just ONE nomination short of preventing any other Labour MP getting the required 81 in order to be able to stand against him.

As well as 323 nominations - which is when no one else can reach the 81-MP threshold needed to run against him - Burnham would also need to garner nominations next week from at least three of the 31 socialist societies and trade unions affiliated to the party, although this is expected to be a formality for him.

... and wonders what would happen if he failed to get trades union support ...

Andy Burnham has effectively been confirmed as the new Labour leader with 349 of the party's MPs having now nominated him to replace Sir Keir Starmer.

After a second day of nominations, the MP for Makerfield received the support of a further 27 Labour MPs - putting him on track to become prime minister on 20 July, with it now mathematically impossible for a rival to run against him.

He still requires the backing of three organisations affiliated to the Labour Party, at least two of which must be trade unions, although this is expected to be a formality.

(BBC article continues)

Andy Burnham planning summer tour of UK in early weeks as PM

Andy Burnham will undertake a summer tour across the UK during the early weeks of his premiership.

Described as a "listening tour of the UK", Burnham will travel across the country in August while Parliament is in recess.

Among the areas understood to be on his itinerary is Port Talbot in south Wales, a town which saw the closure of its last steel-making blast furnace in September 2024.

The former Greater Manchester mayor will become prime minister on Monday but will not face MPs until September when the Commons returns from its six-week recess, unless he decides to recall Parliament.

Several Welsh Labour MPs have told BBC Wales that they understand Burnham intends to visit Port Talbot, once home to the UK's largest steelworks which has seen 2,800 job losses as it transitions to greener steel-making.

Some Welsh politicians have accused Labour of double standards, after it stepped in to save the British Steel plant in Scunthorpe in 2025 but did not do the same for Tata Steel's Port Talbot plant.

There are few details as to what policies Burnham will look to implement once in No 10, but a key part of his message thus far has been about devolving power away from Westminster towards local communities.

In a speech in Manchester at the end of June, the Makerfield MP made the case for more "powers to areas undergoing industrial transition, like Port Talbot, Scunthorpe and Aberdeen".

The Welsh Government has raised concerns that this might mean undermining devolution to Wales, with Plaid Cymru First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth saying there were "signs" Burnham might want to bypass the Senedd and the Welsh government.

Some Welsh MPs have also requested that Burnham makes stops in their constituencies.

Tonia Antoniazzi, Labour MP for Gower, a peninsula in south Wales, said: "I'd love him to visit for a pint and a dip [in the sea] and hear first hand from my constituents what matters to them."

There are reports that Burnham will also visit Aberdeen, a city at the heart of the debate around the UK's energy future and home of GB Energy - the government's fledgling publicly-owned energy company.

The Conservatives won the recent by-election for Aberdeen South, held on the same day as the Makerfield election which Burnham won.

Burnham will become the leader of the Labour Party on Friday, having received support from the overwhelming majority of his party's MPs. He will replace Sir Keir Starmer as prime minister on Monday.

With Burnham entering No 10 without a general election or a leadership contest, his immediate priority will be to shore up support across the country as he sets out his vision for government.  He is also facing calls to connect to voters outside of London and the north-west of England.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey, who has dubbed Burnham "Avanti Andy" after the rail franchise that serves Manchester, said: ""From the Devon coast to Swansea's streets and Shetland's shores, people are utterly fed up with being overlooked.  Andy Burnham has a very short window to turn this government around, end the chaos and build trust with communities the whole length and breadth of the UK."

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle can recall Parliament during the summer recess if asked to do so by the government, once deciding whether it is in the public interest.

The Conservatives had planned to use their scheduled opposition day debate on Wednesday to force a vote on adding one sitting day, so that MPs could question Burnham about his plans for government.  But the debate was ditched by the government so MPs could debate the ongoing crisis in the Middle East instead.

Burnham has faced calls from some within Labour to offer more details on policies he will look to implement in government.

He has also faced accusations of avoiding media scrutiny since becoming an MP and announcing his intention to stand. He has so far given interviews to LBC and Gary Lineker, while he has also hosted an online Q and A session on Reddit.

During that Q and A, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch challenged Burnham to "come out from hiding, face a proper press conference and submit yourself to scrutiny and some tough questions".

Burnham replied: Fair challenge Kemi - but don't forget it's only two weeks since I faced questions from 74,000 members of the public of Makerfield."

Wait seven decades for a coronation, then two come along in three years

Burnham’s HS2 promise is dead on arrival – here’s how to really fix Britain’s railways

Just south of Wigan, you find the “flashes”, lakes formed by mining subsidence, once surrounded by Somme-like industrial wasteland, now transformed into rural nature reserves and a refuge for the willow tit, Britain’s most threatened bird. A tenth of this species’ entire UK population lives around the flashes, but perhaps not for much longer.

The area is also home to an even more rare creature than the willow tit: a Labour by-election winner, Andy Burnham, whose constituency, Makerfield, this is. And when he becomes prime minister, he wants to drive a new high-speed railway right through it.

Burnham pledged to reinstate HS2’s second phase, between the West Midlands and the North West, in an interview with The i Paper last month. As well as the route to Manchester, Phase 2 also includes the “Golborne link”, a branch for trains to Preston and Scotland, joining the West Coast Main Line at Bamfurlong, in Burnham’s seat. There was, he said, “a cleverer way of funding” Phase 2 through “contributions from business and residents” or “the increase in land values created by the [new] infrastructure… captured to pay back the cost”.

Henri Murison, of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, a lobby group for high-speed rail, says a “make-do and mend approach doesn’t work – you end up having to build new lines anyway”. A “significant proportion” of costs could be raised privately, Murison adds, or through measures such as devolved income tax, though he won’t say how much.

But the sums required are genuinely massive. Officially, HS2’s first phase, from London to the Midlands, is now costing between £626m and £734m a mile. On this basis, Phase 2, 89 miles with the Golborne link, would cost up to £65bn. In practice, it should be slightly cheaper, since there is less tunnelling – around 17 per cent of the route, versus 23 per cent in Phase 1 – and fewer cuttings. But that assumes that HS2’s costs rise no further: bold, given its record.

Burnham also wants an underground station in central Manchester – another £5bn on the bill. And he backs a second new line, Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) from Liverpool to Manchester and possibly Leeds. NPR shares some of HS2’s track, but even with this, the price for all the schemes together will be perhaps £80bn.

In 2024, Burnham claimed Phase 2 could save up to 40 per cent by becoming “HS2 Lite”, with a top speed of 185mph, not the planned 250mph. The main reason faster is more expensive is that the route must be flatter and straighter, with more earth moved. But HS2 Lite doesn’t change the route, so this saving isn’t available.

Even HS2’s most strident supporters were unconvinced by the plan. The rail commentator, Gareth Dennis, said it was “bad,” “technically illiterate” and “based on several severely misjudged ideas about costs. Suggesting that anything other than the full and original HS2 design will be cheaper and quicker to deliver is wrong.”

As for Burnham’s “cleverer way of funding”, it’s quite true that extra taxes on London business and a “community infrastructure levy” for increased land values did pay for about a quarter of the Elizabeth Line, £4.7bn. The developers of Battersea Power Station similarly funded about a fifth of the cost of extending the Northern Line to their site – £260m (though in return they got changes which raised its price, cancelling out much of their contribution).

But these were far smaller, cheaper projects than HS2. And even for those sorts of schemes, LSE Professor Tony Travers, who chaired a commission on land value capture for infrastructure, says there is “no way any other part of the country could do anything like [London]. Their economies are just not big enough to bear it. The land values are not enough to raise more than a very modest, gestural amount”. As mayor of Greater Manchester, Burnham had power to levy a Crossrail-style supplementary business rate, but never did, presumably for that reason. In the by-election, he promised to cut business taxes.

The final, clinching difficulty is that neither HS2 nor NPR actually fixes the North’s rail problems. University of Liverpool Professor Ian Wray, former chief planner of the Northwest Development Agency, was the first person to propose what became NPR. But now, he says, HS2 and NPR are “projects looking for a plan”, “conceived, designed and delivered in isolation” and “likely to fail to achieve their objectives”.

Writing with David Thrower, another planner, and Jim Steer, one of the earliest high-speed lobbyists, Wray says the North’s rail capacity problem is not on links – lines between places – but at nodes, places where the trains converge, above all central Manchester. Delays from congestion there ripple out across the region, but fixing it is, they say, a “total lacuna” in current plans.

NPR and HS2 will, of course, take some trains off the congested conventional lines in central Manchester – but only about 25 per cent of them. Trevor Parkin, an engineer who has closely studied HS2 and NPR, says building an Elizabeth Line-style scheme under the city centre instead, a short tunnel linking all the conventional lines either side, would increase capacity by at least 100 per cent.

“It would give Burnham his underground station at Piccadilly, it would link to most of the Northern network rather than a handful of places on a high-speed line, and it would cost a fraction of the price,” Parkin says.

There is cross-party momentum behind this concept, from my own think-tank Policy Exchange to the more left-wing Centre for British Progress. New Elizabeth Lines – not just for Manchester, but for every major city – are the top suggestion of 20 “big ideas” for Burnham’s first 100 days, collected by the progressive website Arguably.

As for the problem that HS2 is meant to fix – congestion on the West Coast Main Line – that too could be solved far quicker and cheaper by tackling two pinch points, Crewe and Colwich, than by building a whole new line. This would also prevent services to other places on the existing route, such as Stoke, Stockport, Wilmslow – and Burnham’s own local station at Wigan – being damaged, sometimes devastated, as trains are switched to HS2.

“Every week and every pound we waste on unaffordable high-speed schemes that will never happen is time and money not spent on things which can actually be delivered and would actually transform rail in the North,” says Parkin. “Unless we realise this, we will spend another 10 years achieving nothing.”

I understand that Louise Haig is helping to run his campaign....far better transport secretary IMV

Excellent news if Louise Haigh gets a cabinet position.

People are also allowed to gwt on with their work and lives after their period of rehabilition, be that legal or political. One in four people have a criminal record.

That's a fair point, perhaps everyone should get more than one chance to reach their full potential when it comes to a political career, irrespective of previous dishonest behaviour.

Take Peter Mandelson for example.