Fresh questions are being asked over whether Andy Burnham’s promised programme of devolution will include giving Scotland the power to decide its own constitutional future.
The debate follows reports in the Financial Times that Mr Burnham is preparing what has been described as an “aggressive programme of devolution”, with plans expected to be outlined in a major speech on the economy next week.
According to the report, the proposals will focus on shifting power away from Westminster and towards local communities, but have prompted renewed scrutiny over whether Scotland will be included in any wider constitutional reforms.
The issue has attracted particular attention because Mr Burnham has previously spoken about his belief that the current constitutional settlement is failing Scotland.
As Mayor of Greater Manchester, he said he understood “sentiments in Scotland” and acknowledged that “we all have our frustrations about the way Westminster treats the UK.”
In an interview with the Sunday Mail in 2022, Mr Burnham also said:
“it’s clear the constitutional question is not settled.
“In terms of a referendum, I’m not going to say, ‘No, not ever’” whilst calling for Westminster to be “completely rewired”.
He went on to add that “Scotland doesn’t have a voice within that system commensurate with its size and influence.”
With Mr Burnham expected to set out his vision for reform in the coming days, the SNP has challenged him to explain whether those previously expressed views remain unchanged.
SNP MSP Alex Kerr said:
“Andy Burnham has done a fine job of manoeuvring Keir Starmer out of Number 10 and his own coronation to the heart of the Westminster establishment he has criticised for years.
“Having slated the broken Westminster system for years, will Burnham actually seek to change anything or will he be happy to take his place in the centre of it?
“The only thing we have learned about Andy Burnham over recent weeks is that he is as fond of a U-turn as much as his soon-to-be predecessor.
“The Labour Party came to the power on the promise of change but voters have only seen things get worse as the cost of everything has soared under Keir Starmer.
“Andy Burnham has now promised that he is the man to deliver change.
“If he is serious about change and about shifting power away from Westminster then a good place to start would be by giving Scots the right to decide their own future as they voted for yet again last month.
“To stand in the way of democracy would lead to people in Scotland concluding that he is just like all his predecessors and will offer no change for Scotland.
“People in Scotland are already coming to the conclusion that the only way to achieve real change and escape the constant chaos of Westminster is through the fresh start of independence.”
Mr Burnham’s forthcoming speech is expected to provide the clearest indication yet of how far he intends to go in redistributing power from Westminster and whether Scotland’s constitutional future will form any part of that wider programme.
For now, the question remains whether devolution, as Mr Burnham defines it, will simply mean more powers within the existing system or whether it will extend to allowing Scotland to determine its own future.
