10-year plan will lay out ‘clear vision for Britain’, says Andy Burnham

David Lynch and Nina Lloyd, Press Association Political Staff

Andy Burnham has said he will lay out a “very clear vision for Britain” in a 10-year plan, after reports that the document may not be as ambitious as first thought.

The Prime Minister acknowledged the plan may not be published in December, as has been briefed, but could slip until the new year.

Mr Burnham and other senior Government figures have set high expectations for the 10-year plan, saying it will provide a blueprint for running the country until 2037, after a small and stable first Budget by Chancellor John Healey.

But the New Statesman reported that voices within Government fear the 10-year plan could be another “kicking of the can”.

The document may not be as detailed as first thought, the magazine said, and could be the beginning of a long public consultation process rather than a fully realised vision.

Mr Burnham insisted this is not the case and said briefings to the New Statesman were not correct.

Speaking to the Economist after the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) in Antigua, the Prime Minister said: “When the 10-year plan comes out later this year — people are underestimating the significance of this, there’s been briefing around this week, and I just wanted to just drop this in with you, inaccurate briefing.

“This idea that it’s going to be a one-year… no, I will lay out my very clear vision for Britain.

“And it will be substantial, and it will also be… compelling because I am weaving the different threads together, and I will do that.”

Mr Burnham appeared to suggest the end-of-year timescale for the plan’s publication may be extended.

He told the Economist: “But I will say later — we may go into the new year, to be honest, there is that — December or January, I think we will need to leave that open, I don’t think we’ve got a firm landing zone for it yet.

“But it’s definitely not going to be what has been briefed this week.”

Several difficult public spending decisions were not covered in Mr Healey’s first Budget, including how to reach 3.5% of defence spending by 2035, and action to bring down the growing costs of welfare.

Ministers have said these issues will be addressed, with the Chancellor pointing to the spending review next year as a chance to set out longer term rearmament.

Mr Burnham has also laid out ambitions to devolve more power to local leaders across the UK, and to reform the social care system, which would be likely to be included in the plan.