What would potential Labour leadership candidates do differently to Starmer?

"His signature policy has been to take the city's buses under public control and link them with trams to form an integrated transport network known as the Bee Network. His allies talk about using that as a model for public services on a national scale as well, especially when it comes to utilities suggesting more nationalisations would come under a Burnham government."

"Burnham has also talked about spending more money on social homes, at the expense of other government-subsidised housing. While this would increase the stock of homes for the poorest renters, it could undermine the government's overall housebuilding targets, given that social-rent homes require more subsidy per unit."

"Last year Burnham spooked investors by saying the UK was in hock to the bond markets. He quickly rowed back from suggestions that he wanted a big increase in government borrowing, though he has talked in the past about breaking the fiscal rules specifically to pay for defence."

"Possibly the biggest change in a Burnham government, however, would be to the constitution. Burnham has been one of the loudest champions of a more proportional system of voting, and has also promised to abolish the House of Lords and end the whipping system in the Commons that guarantees that MPs of a certain party will vote together."

Andy Burnham has used nearly a decade in Greater Manchester to develop a political approach branded as Manchesterism. His signature policy takes city buses into public control and links them with trams to create an integrated Bee Network. Allies suggest the model could extend to national public services, including utilities and further nationalisations under a Burnham government. Burnham also proposes spending more on social homes rather than other government-subsidised housing, which would increase homes for the poorest renters but could weaken overall housebuilding targets due to higher subsidy needs. He has previously raised concerns about bond market exposure and has rowed back from major borrowing plans. A major potential change would be constitutional reform, including a more proportional voting system, abolishing the House of Lords, and ending the Commons whipping system. The resignation letter of a former health secretary did not declare a leadership bid, and No 10 sources believe support is insufficient, though a later entry could blend Blairite themes with soft-left policy demands.

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