Angela Rayner has intensified pressure on Andy Burnham to allow her to play a central role in his emerging “No10 North” initiative, signalling a potential realignment of influence within the Labour movement as plans for greater regional devolution take shape.
The former deputy prime minister has reportedly seen her own leadership ambitions cool following recent political shifts that have reopened Burnham’s pathway to Westminster, prompting speculation she is now positioning herself for a senior role in a prospective northern power base.
Speaking publicly for the first time since Sir Keir Starmer stepped aside, Rayner said Britain “needs to change politics and give people back control”, arguing that economic renewal depends on shifting authority away from Westminster.
She criticised what she described as “Whitehall empires hoarding their own power”, claiming too many decisions affecting local communities are made by “too few” centralised institutions.
Her remarks are being interpreted as a direct challenge to traditional Whitehall control, and a broader push for structural reform of governance across England’s regions.
Rayner argued that genuine devolution must go beyond consultation and funding bids, calling instead for a system where regional leaders are directly accountable for delivering services such as transport and local infrastructure.
“Devolution means making someone genuinely accountable for getting things done in a place,” she said, adding that the current system allows responsibility to be “passed up and down the chain”.
She also criticised what she called a “begging-bowl culture” in which regional leaders are forced to seek approval from central government for routine local decisions.
Earlier this week, Andy Burnham outlined plans for a decentralised governing structure dubbed “No10 North”, designed to redistribute executive authority away from London and toward regional hubs.
The proposal forms part of a broader debate within Labour circles over constitutional reform, English devolution, and the balance of power between Westminster and city regions.
Rayner’s intervention is likely to fuel speculation about internal positioning within Labour’s emerging post-Starmer landscape, with senior figures increasingly aligning themselves around competing visions for governance reform.
While her leadership ambitions have been widely discussed in Westminster, her latest comments suggest a strategic focus on regional power structures rather than a direct bid for national leadership.
The growing emphasis on devolution reflects a wider political shift, as parties grapple with long-standing tensions between central authority and regional autonomy across the UK.
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