Burnham says long-awaited 10-year plan may be delayed until January – UK politics live

Andy Burnham, the former UK Chancellor, has revealed that his long-awaited 10-year plan may be delayed until January. During a speech outside No. 10, Burnham had previously announced that he would present a new policy statement "later this year." However, in an interview with Hugo Gye of The Economist, Burnham stated that the plan might not appear until the new year, specifically December or January.

The document, described as the core policy statement coming from No. 10, was initially expected to be a comprehensive budget. However, insiders suggest that key announcements were being held back until the 10-year plan. In an interview with The New Statesman, Ailbhe Rea suggested that even when the initial plan's announcement occurs at the end of this year or in January, it might not be the final word.

According to Rea, the 10-year plan could be the beginning of a lengthy consultation process, rather than a fully detailed document. The plan, delivered by the Prime Minister before Christmas, would set the stage for a six-to-nine-month process of public and expert consultation on government priorities. It will also initiate work across government to define the specifics of the plans in greater detail.

The process, in turn, will determine the priorities for the spending review, a procedure that itself will take months. Critics fear that the government may spend over a year discussing its plans without taking significant action to address them.