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'We are going to get Britain believing again - and bring back hope'

'Whether someone gets the chance to get back on their feet says something about who we are, it says something about the country were trying to build', Prime Minister Andy Burnham writes

[Andy Burnham said he is used to people telling him things can't be done]

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Andy Burnham said he is used to people telling him things can't be done(Image: Lauren Hurley / No 10 Downing Street)

Im used to people telling me things cant be done. They said it about reopening the Hillsborough inquiry. They said it about re-regulating buses in Manchester. And now theyre saying it about taking power out of Westminster too.

Im sure Ill keep hearing it. But if Ive learnt anything from my time in politics, its that it cant be done is usually just another way of saying weve stopped trying. And this week weve shown whats possible when we dont accept that as an answer.

Our work started where it should: rough sleeping. On day one, we committed to ending it. Not reducing it. Not managing it. Ending it. Because government after government has treated it like some fact of life something you just step around rather than solve.

I wont have that. Yes, there will always be people who fall on hard times. Life doesnt always go to plan. But whether someone gets the chance to get back on their feet says something about who we are. It says something about the country were trying to build.

[Andy Burnham walks past No 10 North sign]

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Andy Burnham inside No 10 North on the opening day(Image: Christopher Furlong/PA Wire)

I want Britain to be a country where nobody is written off. Where everyone is treated with respect no matter who they are or what theyve been through. And where the government doesnt avoid a problem because its difficult, but rolls up its sleeves and gets to work.

Care of people. Thats what drove every decision I made as Mayor. And itll drive every choice I make as your Prime Minister.

Were bringing that same attitude to the cost of living. Because, for too many families, life has become a constant calculation. Can we afford to put the heating on? Can we make that journey into town? Can we stretch things to the end of the month?

I want people to stop worrying and start feeling hopeful about whats coming next. I want them to start to believe in Britain again. But I can't ask people to dream about the future when theyre struggling to make life work.

So Im making it a priority to give families a bit of breathing space. Thats what cutting VAT on electricity bills and capping bus fares at 2 is all about. Its the first step in taking some of that pressure off peoples shoulders. Its about giving people a moment to lift their head up and look forward again.

Its a start. But I know its only that. Our job wont be done until people arent just living - but living well. And that will take time and more than any one policy. In fact, it will take more than just Westminster.

Lasting change will only come when we stop tinkering with the system and accepting its broken. Im not here to shift a few things round in Whitehall. Weve tried that and it doesnt work. Im here to shift power completely. Im here to make sure that this is a country built to drive growth in every postcode.

This is why one of my first decisions was to open No10 North. This is about rebalancing decision-making in Britain and bringing regeneration and reindustrialisation to every part of it. I want all places to have the power to improve - just as we have seen happen in Greater Manchester. I want all towns to be able to lift their high streets and feel proud of them again.

This is the thinking behind cutting business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues. Those businesses have had a tough time and they deserve a bit of relief. But theyre also pillars of our communities. They bring us together in good times and bad. And if were serious about rebuilding our towns, we have to get serious about the places that hold them together too.

Its only been a week. But weve done two tax cuts. Lowered bills and fares. Shifted power. Backed our communities. And got on with the job.

Im not pretending weve solved Britains problems. Far from it. But this week is a reminder that the government can make peoples lives that little bit easier. That politics can work for the people. And that we dont have to settle for what others say is and isnt possible.

Of course, there will still be those who say it cant be done.

But we proved them wrong in Manchester. And were going to prove them wrong again on a bigger scale. We are going to get Britain believing again - and bring back hope.

[Andy Burnham]

Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham is the Prime Minister. He returned to Parliament as MP for Makerfield after nearly a decade serving as Mayor for Greater Manchester. He was previously MP for Leigh from 2001 until 2017, and held ministerial roles under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown

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