Burnham to argue for more public control of services in first House of Commons speech as Prime Minister
The statement to Parliament will also be a chance for MPs to probe him on the slew of policies he announced over the summer
Andy Burnham is expected to call for greater public control over water, energy and transport in his House of Commons debut later today.
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In his first appearance at the despatch box in 16 years, the Prime Minister will argue that stronger public control over many of the country’s services can be an engine for economic growth.
He is also expected to set out his belief that essential services have not been run in the public interest, and is set to make public control on important services a priority for his government over the coming months.
Tuesday's statement to Parliament will also be a chance for MPs across the House to probe the Prime Minister on the slew of policies he announced over the summer.
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"Andy is optimistic about our country’s future," A No 10 source told The Guardian.
"He has a clear plan for how we turn things round. He is determined we make this the moment we bring back hope."
Mr Burnham is also expected to face tough questions about how he will fill a £4.7 billion funding hole in the defence investment plan, left to him by his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer.
As well as a reforged senior opposition team, Mr Burnham faces a host of political challenges as MPs return to Westminster for the autumn.
These include whether to bring struggling utilities such as Thames Water under Government ownership, and the future of two major fossil fuel operations in the North Sea - the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.
Chancellor John Healey has vowed defence will be central to his plans at the Treasury, after last week being unable to commit to a 2030 deadline for when Britain will meet a target to spend 3% of its economy on defence.
Mr Healey’s resignation as Sir Keir’s defence secretary over a dispute about a shortfall in funding was a pivotal moment in the former prime minister’s downfall earlier this year.