Burnham’s wish to devolve more power and spend more money in the regions will bring slower growth and less economic success.We know this from the 25 year experiment with devolved government, more public spending and borrowing in Wales and Scotland since 2000. The GDP results from ONS show the following for 2000-2025
England GDP plus 48.5%
Scotland. plus 41.2%
Wales. plus 33.8%
These facts have been set out with good charts to highlight the differences by Facts4eu.
These are huge divergencies showing there is a big prosperity cost to dear devolved government. Doubtless many Scottish and Welsh voters want to carry on with it, and that is their democratic right confirmed by referendum. Voters in England see from that that we do not want the economic harm even bigger government brings. In England voters voted down North Eastern government when asked in a referendum and were right to do so.
Andy Burnham also needs to consider the contradiction in his policies. He both thinks more devolved power to regions help, and thinks more laws and taxes should be set by the EU through the EU re set give aways. Both these propositions cannot be true as they contradict each other. Both can be wrong, and are wrong. You get faster growth, more jobs and more investment with less government, fewer laws and lower taxes. That is why you need to say No to EU re set and to bigger devolved government to city regions.
June 30, 2026
Is the “West Lothian” issue relevant to his thinking?
Is he planning to reduce central grants to devolved areas, while allowing them new tax raising powers to compensate? Or are we all just going to have to pay for this grand experiment by subsidising madcap mayors across the country?
June 30, 2026
Burnham implies our GDP growth slump is due to a lack of devolved government in the regions. If that is the case why did we grow solidly pre-2000? We averaged about 3% growth and even had 5.5% highs under Margaret Thatcher and 4.9% highs under John Major without any devolved government.
If Burnham was sincere about economic growth he would address the real underlying problems which so far he has not said a thing about.
June 30, 2026
This used to be called a BGO. Not to understand it requires either a befuddled brain or a particular enmity towards Britain. Burnham is a Cambridge graduate in English literature. He is not befuddled. He, like Starmer and Hermer, all Fabians, hates Britain and wants sovereign nation states replaced by a socialist world order ruled by people like them.
There is only one person ahead of them: Shabana Mahmood. She can see these people are doormats for accelerating Muslim immigration etc ed. We should take her at her word. She has said that Islam drives everything she does. So she is transferring control of what is currently illegal immigration from the gangs to what she calls communities in Britain, ie, mosques, sharia councils, and other muslim organisations, under a new legalising framework. The Islamification of Britain is being put on steroids. The econmomy is very much a secondary consideration as Islam is not material in its beliefs.
i am sure this is not what Burnham et al on the Left want, but they don’t do God, so they are not capable of understanding the danger. They see Islam is just another whacko religion.
Reply Mahmood has been tougher in talk to reduce immigration, but now probably under pressure from the left and worrying about her job with Burnham is proposing worrying relaxations.
June 30, 2026
People such as Burnham have a particular dislike for England.
It is England that is the only Nation in the Union without its own Parliament or even given a voice as to whether they would like one or not.
It is the English who one minute do not exist, and therefore are without rights to expect their home, culture etc. to be respected, and the next are the evil doers of everything bad that ever happened since the Ark set sail.
I’m not sure that the Islamification of Britain and the consequences ever enter the vacuous heads (degrees don’t necessarily translate to intelligence) of the socialist type.
All those, be they Conservative with an exceptionally small ‘c’ or the socialist ilk, have clearly never travelled or even read a book regarding various cultures/religions, or they would never have invited them in to the extent they have, and then told them all to carry on as if at home.
The likes of Blair, Hermer, Burnham etc. all believe they will always be at the top directing things, but I don’t think they factor in that others do not hate their ethnic groups and religions, and will seek to ensure they are the top dogs.
They are seemingly clueless of human nature.
June 30, 2026
Exactly JR but I suppose per cap figure might be better though doubtless limited, we do not need more power and spending give, politicians, be they local or central government. Drakeford and Sturgeon were both appalling disasters. Encourage investment and growth with far lower taxes, cheap reliable energy, ditch net zero, a bonfire of red tape and leave the power and money with the people who made and know how to make it – individuals and businesses. Blair’s botched devolution was a disaster it was done to help Labour but actually helped independence parties like SNP and Plaid with disastrous results. With local languages forced down people’s throats and painted on police cars and road signs.
Drakeford, an ex-professor of Social Policy and Applied Social Sciences at Cardiff University, was as one would expect a total disaster as was (CND fan) Nicola Sturgeon another bitter, class warrior and deluded lefty lawyer like Blair and Starmer.
June 30, 2026
Sturgeon like ( spiteful?) Bridget Phillipson) both had parents who benefited from Thatcher’s right to buy it seems).
June 30, 2026
I could take up the whole of this thread listing all the various hypocritical stances of Socialists/Communists I know and/or have known.
I have come to the conclusion either they are exceedingly lacking in what I call natural and perceptive intelligence, and any self awareness, or they think we are and cannot see their glaringly obvious hypocrisy in many things.
June 30, 2026
Doubtless “similar” rather (not limited)
June 30, 2026
I’ve read many times from credible sources that the EU’s plan was always to have England split into ‘the regions’.
It’s easier to control that way, particularly if it helps foster enmity.
Isn’t that what the North/South divide nonsense has always been about?
English men against English men will be very helpful for the socialist/communist EU project.
June 30, 2026
Good morning.
No change as expected. continue with the job of ever closer Union with the EU. The idea of the so called devolved powers is to break up the UK and England in particular. A mad old project that has not changed since its inception in the 1950’s.
If our lot really ran the Royal Navy like they do the rest of the UK, we will still be going round in wooden ships of the line.
June 30, 2026
England has 87% of the population, 87% of the economic activity and 0% of the say. Scotland, Wales, NI and the UK all have a say. Not since apartheid South Africa have 87% been denied democratic equality.
The result: England is to be balkanised into regions by a Prime Minister with 0% of the vote and 100% of the power.