Andy Burnham’s fiscal devolution announcement is to be welcomed

It is refreshing to finally have a Prime Minister in Number 10 who gets the importance of addressing regional inequality, not just paying lip service to it.

Number 10 North may have been dismissed as a gimmick by sneering voices that look down on the North of England and it remains to be seen whether it will amount to anything more than gesture politics. But that very gesture signals an appetite to do things differently. To get power out of Westminster and closer to those that are affected by the decisions that are made there.

Political apathy, especially across the North, is down to voters feeling that they have little control over their lives.

However, if Andy Burnham is serious about shifting power to these communities then he needs to be bold. Sir Keir Starmer’s Government made tentative progress on devolution but stopped short of fiscal devolution, despite the Chancellor making promising noises on giving local leaders more financial control.

Research showing that only a tiny proportion of income tax would need to be handed down to mayors in West and South Yorkshire to give them significant control is a reminder that the new PM is pushing at an open door.

Devolution is just as much an economic priority as it is a political one. The potential of regions like Yorkshire continues to go unfulfilled. A big reason for this is that Britain is one of the most over-centralised economies in the developed world.

Everyday decisions that should be in the remit of local leaders are still ultimately decided by Whitehall.

The argument for meaningful devolution is one underscored by accountability. With fiscal devolution, voters would have a say on how money is spent in their local communities.