Sir Sadiq Khan has issued a friendly warning to Andy Burnham, the same message he gave to six prime ministers he has outlasted: when London succeeds, the rest of the country succeeds. The Mayor of London stressed he will work with Burnham when it benefits the capital but will challenge him when it does not.
Khan's message to Burnham on devolution
Speaking exclusively to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Sir Sadiq said Andy Burnham “gets it” when it comes to devolving power to mayors and ensuring London’s success benefits the whole UK. However, the Mayor of London made clear he won’t hesitate to challenge Burnham if decisions are not in the capital’s interests.
Burnham, who looks set to enter Downing Street within weeks, has long advocated shifting powers away from Whitehall towards local elected leaders. Earlier today, the Makerfield MP laid out plans to give mayors greater control over social housing, welfare and education budgets.
City Hall concerns over investment shift
City Hall figures were initially concerned that Burnham’s agenda would shift investment away from London and the South East towards the North of England. Sir Sadiq stressed it was “crucial that the new Labour leader invests in every part of the country”.
However, in the LDRS interview, Sir Sadiq appeared confident that Burnham’s political journey means he “gets it”. “I’ve worked with him in the Cabinet, in the Shadow Cabinet, as a Metro Mayor and even on the football pitch,” Khan said. “He can see the difference we can make working together. I’m looking forward to working with Andy as the new Prime Minister.”
Khan's long-standing push for more powers
Sir Sadiq has long advocated for City Hall to receive more decision-making and financial powers from the Government, including more jurisdiction over licensing, taxation revenue retention and housing arrangements. He has struggled to break ground on the issue, despite recent wins over strategic licensing and the overnight tourist levy in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026.
In a thinly veiled message to Burnham, Khan said: “My message is the same one that I gave to David Cameron, to Theresa May, to Boris Johnson, to Liz Truss, to Rishi Sunak and to Keir Starmer – when London succeeds, the rest of the country succeeds. I will work with you when it’s in our capital city’s interest, but I will challenge you when it’s not in our city’s interests. We contribute four out of every £10 in taxes raised by the Government. We could contribute even more if there’s more devolution of powers and resources.”
Burnham's plans for power transfer
Burnham’s first major policy speech, given in Manchester on Thursday (June 25), revealed his wish to see the “biggest transfer of power out of Whitehall in modern times”. This would include tens of thousands of government jobs moved out of London to other UK regions, including a ‘Number 10 in the North’. It could also see combined authorities allowed to keep 100 per cent of any increase in business rates they generate to attract investment.
Steve Reed, the Housing Secretary, said Burnham’s plan could help London’s housing crisis by reducing migration from other cities to London, which “pushes up our housing costs and pushes up housing demand”. Reed also said the former Greater Manchester Mayor “understands very clearly that when local areas get more control over decisions that affect them, they are better decisions”.
