Andy Burnham has called for a fresh devolution deal for London, backing greater powers for Sadiq Khan over housing and education to ensure the capital “remains the world’s greatest city.” In a significant intervention in the debate over how England’s regions should be governed, the Mayor of Greater Manchester urged ministers to trust locally elected leaders with more control over key policy levers. His remarks, framed as both a show of solidarity with London and a warning about the risks of centralised decision-making, come amid mounting concern over the capital’s housing crisis, school standards and its post‑pandemic economic recovery. As Burnham presses the case for a stronger mayoral mandate in the capital, the question of how far Westminster is willing to loosen its grip on London is set to move sharply up the political agenda.
Burnham backs expanded mayoral powers to bolster London housing and restore affordability
Positioning himself as an ally in the fight against London’s spiralling rents and shrinking homeownership prospects, Andy Burnham is urging Westminster to hand City Hall stronger levers over planning, land use and public investment. He argues that the current patchwork of borough powers and government-imposed caps is throttling delivery and keeping younger Londoners locked out of secure tenancies and first-time buyer schemes. Under his vision, the Mayor would gain greater control over public land disposal, tighter oversight of large private developments, and new tools to force idle sites into use – measures he says are essential if the capital is to move beyond piecemeal schemes and tackle the housing backlog at scale.
Burnham’s allies say the strengthened role would not only accelerate building but rebalance priorities toward affordability and long-term community needs. Proposals floated by supporters include:
- City-wide planning powers to set binding affordable housing quotas on major developments.
- Direct control of unused public land, enabling faster delivery of social and key‑worker homes.
- Stronger rent regulation options,subject to national legislation,to curb sharp rent hikes.
- Dedicated investment funds for council and community-led housing projects.
| Measure | Main Goal |
|---|---|
| Extra planning powers | Raise affordable quotas |
| Public land control | Fast-track social homes |
| Rent tools | Stabilise private rents |
| Housing funds | Back local builders |
Education reforms at the heart of Labour plan to secure London’s global competitive edge
At the center of the offer to the capital is a radical shake-up of how classrooms are funded, skills are planned and young people are supported into work. Burnham’s pitch would see City Hall handed new levers over curriculum alignment, apprenticeships and technical training, enabling Sadiq Khan to tailor education pathways to the jobs that are actually being created in the City, Canary Wharf and the fast-growing tech corridors to the east and west. Under the proposals, London could gain direct oversight of local skills budgets and closer collaboration with business leaders, allowing a faster response when sectors such as fintech or green engineering move from niche to mainstream.
- Stronger links between schools, FE colleges, universities and employers
- Targeted investment in digital, AI and low‑carbon skills
- Expanded apprenticeships tied to London’s key growth industries
- Support programmes for young Londoners at risk of being locked out of high‑skill careers
| Priority Area | Planned Change |
|---|---|
| Digital Skills | City-led coding & data academies |
| Green Economy | New vocational routes in clean tech |
| Inclusion | Bursaries for low-income students |
| Business Links | Mentoring with London-based firms |
Labour figures argue that without these changes the capital risks being outpaced by rival hubs that already integrate education and economic strategy more closely. By coupling devolved powers with measurable targets on literacy,numeracy and workplace readiness,the plan aims to ensure that every new London graduate or apprentice is an asset to the city’s global brand: fluent in technology,comfortable in diverse settings and ready to compete in international markets from day one.
Balancing devolution and accountability in the race to keep London the world’s greatest capital
Granting City Hall a stronger hand over housing, transport and skills risks little if it is not matched by sharper scrutiny. As Burnham calls for Khan to shape where and how Londoners live, Westminster is under pressure to evolve from a gatekeeper into a referee – setting the rules, monitoring outcomes and stepping in only when promises are broken. That recalibration could mean clearer performance metrics, regular public reporting and tighter links between mayoral decisions and parliamentary oversight, all designed to reassure voters that more local power does not mean weaker national standards. In practice,this would test whether London can lead a new model of urban self-government without drifting into a democratic blind spot.
For residents, the question is less about constitutional theory and more about who delivers change when it counts. To retain its edge over rival global hubs, the capital needs a governance framework that is both nimble and answerable, with decisions taken close to communities but judged against transparent benchmarks. That balance will hinge on how responsibilities are shared and how success is measured, not just in press conferences but in everyday life:
- Clear lines of obligation between local, regional and national bodies
- Open publication of housing, transport and education performance data
- Direct channels for Londoners to challenge and influence decisions
- Regular reviews to adjust powers if outcomes fall short
| Area | Devolved Role | Accountability Check |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | Set building targets | Annual delivery scorecard |
| Transport | Control fares & routes | User satisfaction audits |
| Skills | Shape local curricula | Graduate outcomes tracking |
Policy recommendations for coordinated city region leadership on homes skills and investment
To turn headline commitments into tangible outcomes, metro mayors in London and across the country will need a shared playbook that aligns housing delivery, skills policy and long-term investment. That starts with a cross-city-region compact in which mayors, local authorities and Whitehall agree a core set of devolution benchmarks: streamlined planning powers for strategic sites, pooled infrastructure funds that can be flexed locally, and multi-year skills budgets linked directly to projected housing and transport corridors. Alongside this, a joint mayoral forum for England’s city regions could coordinate evidence-led targets on affordable homes, construction apprenticeships and green retrofitting, ensuring that London’s new powers set a precedent rather than an exception.
- Align skills with housing pipelines so training providers match course numbers to real development sites.
- Create shared investment prospectuses that bundle housing, transport and digital infrastructure for institutional investors.
- Set common social value standards for major projects, from local hiring to paid apprenticeships.
- Use data-sharing agreements between city regions to monitor completions,vacancies and skills gaps in real time.
| Priority | Lead Role | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Affordable homes near transport hubs | Mayor & boroughs | Shorter commutes, lower rents |
| Construction & green skills academies | City-region skills boards | Local, future-proof jobs |
| Blended public-private investment | Mayoral investment offices | Stable funding, faster delivery |
To Wrap It Up
As Labour looks to a possible return to power at Westminster, Burnham’s intervention underscores both the party’s reliance on London’s success and its willingness to devolve more responsibility to City Hall. Whether the next government follows through on his call for greater powers over housing and education will shape not only Sadiq Khan’s third term, but also the capital’s ability to adapt to mounting pressures on affordability, opportunity and growth. For now, the message from Manchester to London is clear: keeping the capital at the top of the global league table will demand more local control – and a renewed political will to use it.
