devolution

Andy Burnham has promised to set out plans for 'stronger public control' of essential services as he addressed the House of Commons for the first time since taking power.

The prime minister said 'a series of wrong turns' since the 1980s had seen economic power in the UK privatised and pointed to the water industry as 'a leaking monument to that approach - a country run in the private rather than public interest. '

He reiterated his belief that political power had been centralised and announced he would be making devolution powers available to more areas in England.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accused Burnham of offering 'more government control, more taxes and more politicians. '

She said her party, by contrast, wanted people to 'keep more of their own money. '

Burnham became prime minister on 20 July shortly after Parliament closed for the summer recess.

Tuesday marked the first day of the new parliamentary session and provided his first opportunity to address MPs and take questions.

He told the House of Commons that 'Britain is not where we would wish it to be', but promised to 'build a new sense of optimism around the country. '

In the months before becoming prime minister, Burnham stopped short of calling for full nationalisation but said he wanted to see greater public control of water and energy.

He argued the approach had worked in Manchester and now he wanted to extend this model to other regions and nations.