Sir James Slim accused today Andy Burnham of waging a ‘war against’ Londonand promised to “fight the corner” in his pitch for mayor.
The former foreign and home secretary said the Prime Minister’s devolution would lead to “centralizing power in his own backyard” of Manchester, where he was mayor, at the expense of the capital.
Londoner Sir James announced on Saturday that he would be leaving the band Tory front bench – where he has held the role of shadow housing, communities and local government since July last year – to run for city hall at the next election.
Work sitting gentleman Sadiq Khan is halfway through his third term and has not yet confirmed whether he will run again in May 2028.
Sir James told LBC on Sunday: ‘The fact is that Andy Burnham, for all his careful wording, is at heart very anti-London.
‘You can see this not only by what he says, but also by what he does. He’s getting hundreds of millions of pounds out of… budget of the London councils.’
As a result of the government’s fairer funding review, launched during Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership, some London councils are facing cuts to settlement funding as part of a bid to direct money to more deprived areas.
The Tory leaders of Westminster, Wandsworth, Kensington and Chelsea councils have said they will be forced to significantly increase council taxes or cut services to make up a shortfall.
Sir James Cleverly said the Prime Minister’s devolution initiative would involve ‘centralising power in his own backyard’, Manchester.
Before he was elected Labor leader, Mr Burnham announced he would create a North to devolve power away from Westminster.
Before being elected Labor leader, Burnham announced he would create a North to devolve power away from Westminster.
It was branded last week a ‘vanity project’ after it emerged taxpayers raised tens of thousands of pounds to furnish it.
According to figures that will infuriate hard-working Brits, the new Prime Minister has spent just under £49,000 of taxpayers’ money setting up his office in Manchester.
Of this, almost £1,000 has been spent on bringing a replica of the famous Downing St door to the headquarters.
However, it was revealed that the famous ‘entrance’ won’t even be on the street side.
Instead, it will stand in Heron House, the Prime Minister’s temporary northern headquarters, next to a cardboard cutout of Larry the cat.
Addressing Mr Burnham, Sir James said: ‘He blames London for London’s own success. Britain cannot be successful as a country unless London is successful as a city. And I see this in Braintree. Andy Burnham just doesn’t get it… He’s got a war with London, and London needs someone to fight around the corner.”
He added: ‘It’s a centralization of power in Andy Burnham’s favorite place, which is his own backyard, and everyone else will suffer. And London in particular, because he’s putting forward a very anti-London agenda.”
The government has defended changes to allocations, arguing that they “perpetuate an outdated financing system” where some of the wealthiest parts of the country “benefited from exceptionally high levels of government support, while communities under greater pressure lost out”.
Sir James will campaign from the backbench for mayor and will not seek re-election in his constituency of Braintree at the next general election.
He said Tory leader Kemi Badenoch was “very supportive” when he told her of his plans to resign from the shadow cabinet earlier this week, although she would “remain neutral” on the Conservative selection process for a party candidate.
His departure opens a vacancy amid rumors of a reshuffle planned for next month when Parliament returns from its summer recess.
