Angela Rayner praises Andy Burnham's public transport network as 'devolution's biggest success story' in latest brazen pitch for a top job in his Government

By MARTIN BECKFORD, POLICY EDITOR Published: 20:00, 1 July 2026 | Updated: 20:03, 1 July 2026 Angela Rayner has lavished praise on Andy Burnham's record as mayor in what will be seen as another attempt to secure a job in his Government. The former Deputy Prime Minister hailed Manchester's public transport network as the 'biggest success story' of devolution outside London. She also used a major speech to highlight her own work on the Prime Minister-in-waiting's key priority of giving more power to the regions. And she claimed she had fought to push through the introduction of the tourist tax, another policy he championed before returning to Westminster last month. Ms Rayner – who last week talked up her credentials on social housing – also said mayors should be given the power to buy up grand buildings that have fallen derelict. It comes amid growing suspicion that despite being a fellow Labour MP in Greater Manchester, she is not among Mr Burnham's closest allies and may not be rewarded with a return to Cabinet. Addressing an event to mark 40 years of the New Economics Foundation think-tank on Wednesday evening, Ms Rayner said: 'I am proud of the enabling legislation I introduced, which has laid the groundwork and created a framework for the next phase of our devolution revolution. 'But the country needs a much deeper cultural change, and the scale of that challenge can't be underestimated.  Angela Rayner campaigning alongside Andy Burnham in Manchester last week  'To truly get growth in every corner of the country and put more money into people's pockets, we must rewire England by devolving power and money to the country as a whole.' Ms Rayner, who ran the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government until she quit over her tax bill last year, went on: 'There was institutional resistance to fiscal devolution throughout my time in office. But we have shown it can be overcome. We faced them down in announcing an Overnight Visitor Levy. We can do so again.' She mentioned the Old Town Hall in Sheffield and the Theatre Royal in Manchester among the 'beautiful old buildings' that are now 'falling apart' and have been 'left to rot by absentee owners'. 'When buildings have been left to rack and ruin by distant investors, Mayors should be given the power to put them up for compulsory sale or lease, so someone else can have a shot - whether that's the council, a local business, or a community group,' she urged. 'Building on the work we've already done to strengthen the powers available to communities to take control of assets of community value - and the introduction of a Community Right to Buy - we can take greater steps to put power in people's hands. That's what real devolution should look like.' In the most obvious tribute to Mr Burnham, Ms Rayner said: 'Devolution's biggest success story outside of London has been the Bee Network, reversing the destructive Thatcherite invention of multiple private bus companies running expensive, unreliable services in a single city. 'As with so many other things, if we know we want to do it, we should just get it done.' And she also praised his key ally Louise Haigh, the former Transport Secretary who is now drawing up his plan for Government. 'Thanks to the Better Buses Act spearheaded by Louise Haigh, it is easier for local leaders to take control of their buses and put passengers first - with more routes and lower fares. 'But it still takes years of endless process for areas to be able to take control of their buses. Mayors are understandably frustrated at the slow pace of change. 'We should put a line in the sand, and be clear that government will back every Mayor who wants a franchised bus network to have one by the end of this Parliament.' No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.