Will Andy Burnham's devolution plan raise economic growth?
Andy Burnham promised the "biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen" as part of his plans for the UK if he becomes the next
Andy Burnham promised the "biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen" as part of his plans for the UK if he becomes the next prime minister. In his first major policy speech, Burnham said on Monday he would seek to take power away from Whitehall and devolve it to all parts of the UK.
This would include Greater Manchester and other city regions in England. But the former Mayor of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority also said he would further extend devolution in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - though not giving detail - and also promised to give Greater London more devolved powers.
Burnham, who was sworn in as the new MP for Makerfield last week, said this radical devolution of power was essential for delivering higher economic growth in all parts of the UK. "We will never get growth up to the level Britain needs unless every single postcode in the land is set up to contribute to it," he said.
BBC Verify has looked at what impact further devolution could be expected to have on economic growth across the UK.
The BriefWire