The newly elected Labour MP, who is set to succeed Sir Keir Starmer later this month, has set out a 10-year mission to raise living standards.
Mr Burnham’s plans revolve around a ‘Number 10 North’, which will be the “nerve centre of rewired Britain”.
This new operation will be tasked with making power flow into towns and cities across the country, Mr Burnham said.
In his pitch to the south east, the former mayor of Manchester said his goal was “good growth in every postcode” and “hope in every heart”.
He said everyone could feel the country was not where it should be, pointing to bills, rent, high streets and transport.
Mr Burnham vowed to do things differently after what he described as a decade of political turbulence since Brexit and two decades of falling living standards following the financial crash.
On utilities, he said this meant taking the cost of rent, bills and rail fares seriously and ensuring people are not overpaying for the basics.
For reindustrialisation, Mr Burnham said the south east’s opportunities laid in life sciences, maritime, defence, aerospace, digital, cyber, farming and food.
He said: “The task now is to ensure that the jobs, skills, apprenticeships, and wealth that come from that future are rooted in the communities that help create it.”
Mr Burnham added: “In the south east, that means young people in Slough, Southampton, Portsmouth, Medway and Milton Keynes should see a route into skilled work close to home.
“They should not have to leave to get on in life.”
On regeneration, the former health secretary said this was about more council homes, strengthening towns and supporting high streets, including through business rates reform.
Mr Burnham said: “Rather than being a marker of decline, our high streets should become the new symbol of Britain’s renaissance.
He added: “My pitch to the south east is simple: politics should work for you, and the place where you live.
“It should back your strengths, understand your pressures, and give your community the power to shape its own future.”
The pitch came followed a major speech in Manchester in which Mr Burnham outlined his proposals to devolve more powers from Westminster to regions.
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