In the course of campaigning for Makersfield Burnham announced that if he displaces Starmer to become PM he would remain bound by Labour’s 2024 manifesto, but his “Manchesterism” has featured a stronger inclination to state intervention than the Starmer-Reeves positioning.

Burnham’s platform relies on Manchester’s relative success under his mayoralty (2017-’26.) Supporters argue that the region’s integrated transport strategy and housing initiatives have demonstrated that local government can deliver outcomes that Westminster struggles to implement. Critics counter that Manchester’s success predated Burnham’s election and owes more to long-term public-private partnerships and business investment.

Meanwhile many “emblematic” Burnham promises have not been achieved and some fairly disastrous policy failures have been clocked up:
– commitment to end rough sleeping “in a year” has never been close to being achieved
– promise to increase amount of new affordable housing schemes went seriously off-course
– an incomprehensible U-Turn on a clear air scheme that was developed and cancelled
– ineffective and defensively structured inquiries in to the grooming/rape gang crisis.

In this mixed context of “achievement”, TWOP sets out the major differences Burnham has now said that he would try to implement as Prime Minister, if selected.

Defence Spending

In a by-election interview on Burnham “accepted that there was a link between high spending on welfare and the lack of money for defence but argued that the two could be reconciled.” While regretting that Healey and Carns had resigned over the proposed DIP funding settlement, it sounds as if Burnham will continue to try to fudge and delay increasing Defence spending. (Steven Swinford, Oliver Wright & Larisa Brown, The Times [paywall], 12th June 2026 “Andy Burnham piles pressure on Keir Starmer in defence cash row.”)

Taxation

To soothe bond markets and having requested advice from former Goldman Sachs sage and crossbencher, Lord O’Neill of Gatley, Burnham has explicitly recommitted to the 2024 Labour manifesto pledge not to raise income tax, VAT, or National Insurance rates. He has also suggested that he would not unpick the pensions “triple lock” so the death spiral continues, but…

Council Tax vs Land Value Tax

Burnham wants to replace council tax with a progressive land value tax and replace the outdated 1991 VOA land valuations which absurdly still define Council Tax property banding with a 0.4% tax on updated property values as espoused by campaign group Fairer Share.

Inheritance Tax vs Care Levy

Burnham proposes abolishing death duties completely and replacing them with a flat-rate “national care levy” to fund social care, an idea that he has pursued somewhat ineffectually since 2009. The details of a “Care Levy” to be charged on property values replacing Inheritance Tax could be said to require further work to make it a practical policy initiative (Pippa Crerar, The Guardian, 4th June 2026 “I wouldn’t flinch: Burnham on social care.”)

Wealth and Business Tax

Burnham suggests that he would be keen to introduce a wealth tax in part to fund cutting business rates by 20% for pubs, music venues and small independent businesses. Although Burnham (and Streeting) have tried to avoid specific proposals for a wealth tax that could easily spook financial markets, discussions seem to gravitate towards a 2% tax on the value of assets over £100m. (Philip Inman, The Guardian 12th June 2026 “The case for Labour to introduce a wealth tax has never been stronger.”) Is that the cabin door of the superyacht one hears banging?

Fiscal Drag Mitigation

Burnham is opposed to continuing the freeze on income tax thresholds (“fiscal drag”) so as to avoid increasing the number of lower-income pensioners brought in to the income tax net.

Constitutional Reform

Burnham continues to favour the introduction of Proportional Representation (PR) for general elections to combat political apathy and adapt to a multi-party landscape. Traditionally this logic is overcome by obtaining power under the FPTP system.

House of Lords

In government Labour has removed the remaining hereditary peers but continued to appoint droves of failed mid-level politicians to the Upper House. Burnham advocates  slashing the total number of peers and shifting to an “indirect election” model linked to general elections.

Public Ownership

The 2024 manifesto took a measured approach to public ownership (mostly focusing on rail via Great British Railways), but Burnham calls for all utilities to be brought under public ownership or much heavier regulation.

Higher Education

The 2024 manifesto defended the existing tuition fee structure while reforming repayments. Burnham intends to completely overhaul higher education funding, having labelled current tuition fees a “millstone of debt” that creates intergenerational unfairness.

Devolution

While the 2024 manifesto offered further local mayoral devolution, Burnham has demanded full devolution of Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) budgets to create local “Live Well” services, aiming to give English regions the same powers as the devolved governments of Scotland and Wales.

Housing

Labour’s 2024 manifesto relied on private developers meeting planning targets, but Burnham has argued for aggressive state intervention, including a radical scaling up of direct council house building and introducing a “Good Landlord Charter” that would enable renters to require legally enforceable property checks.

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