Burnham to pledge to put power back in local hands ahead of first meeting with Scottish and Welsh leaders

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The Prime Minister will say devolution must give communities greater control over decisions affecting their lives — as he vows to “bring back hope” after years of Westminster centralisation.

Mr Burnham will hold his first face-to-face talks with Scottish First Minister John Swinney on Thursday, just days after shutting down calls for another independence referendum.

The Prime Minister is expected to tell Mr Swinney and Welsh First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth that he wants a “genuine partnership” with devolved governments - while insisting his focus is on the cost of living rather than constitutional change.

He said: “When I say we need good growth in every postcode, I mean every postcode across the whole of the UK. Every place and every person matters.

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“I’m not focused on point scoring or discussing constitutional changes like referendums, I want practical measures to help people live well and bring back hope.”

It comes after the Prime Minister announced plans worth more than £1 billion in his first 72 hours in office, including £340 million to tackle rough sleeping and an £850 million package aimed at cutting energy bills.

He is also expected to restore the £2 cap on bus fares, a move experts estimate could cost around £300 million a year.

He added: “That’s why I’m giving families more breathing space with help on the cost of living, which I have started this week by taking VAT off electricity bills, saving money for millions of households.”

The visit marks Mr Burnham’s first trip to Scotland since becoming Prime Minister on Monday.

He will later attend the opening ceremony of the 2026 Commonwealth Games, alongside the King and Queen.

It comes after a phone call between Mr Burnham and Mr Swinney on Tuesday, during which the pair are understood to have agreed to “agree to disagree” over Scottish independence.

A UK Government source said the Prime Minister made clear he would not enter discussions on a second referendum.

Mr Burnham is instead expected to set out plans to devolve decision-making away from Westminster, including through his newly established “No 10 North” operation.

Downing Street said the aim is to spread investment and opportunity more fairly, reindustrialise the UK and use public procurement to support British jobs.

The First Minister of Wales said: “I look forward to meeting the Prime Minister in Glasgow today.

“It is fitting that we meet in Scotland, as it underlines Wales’s case for parity of powers and a fairer funding model that reflects our needs.

“Number 10 North must not become just Whitehall with a different postcode.

“I agree wholeheartedly on empowering communities – it’s at the heart of my politics – but decisions affecting Wales should be made in Wales, and it is for the Welsh Government and our Senedd to work with the people of Wales on how power is exercised and shared within our nation.

“At a time when families are still feeling the pressure of the cost of living, I am also keen to discuss how our governments can work together as equal partners to deliver improvements to the lives of people in Wales.”

The Prime Minister is also expected to meet Northern Ireland’s First Minister and Deputy First Minister during a UK-wide tour in August.

It comes after Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was made a lord and minister in the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade.

First Minister of Scotland John Swinney hit out at the “hypocrisy” of the expected appointment earlier on Wednesday.

Lord Sarwar was among the first to call for Sir Keir Starmer to stand down in February.

Speaking to the Press Association on Wednesday, the First Minister said: “I think what it demonstrates is an appalling level of judgment by Anas Sarwar.

“He said before the (Holyrood) election he had absolutely no interest in going to the House of Lords, he only wanted to be first minister of Scotland.

“Then, after the election, Anas Sarwar has accepted a place in the House of Lords – a body, by the way, he wants to abolish.

“That is an incredible level of hypocrisy and it just illustrates what I think the Prime Minister is trying to address, which is the fact that politicians say one thing one minute and then do another thing the next minute, when it suits them.

“That, I thought, was what Andy Burnham was trying to address and to solve.

“But instead, Andy Burnham has exacerbated that sentiment within our society.”