Burnham wants mayors to keep income tax - the centre rarely lets go

Andy Burnham has called for metro mayors to receive a share of income tax raised in their regions, arguing the money should be used to "empower" local areas rather than fund short-term tax cuts. The proposal has drawn criticism in Whitehall, the BBC reports, while the Guardian's editorial backs his push to "unbundle" England's centralised state.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester has also appointed Jack Patterson, a Grammy-winning member of Clean Bandit, as a top economic adviser - a move that caused a stir in the Treasury, according to the Daily Mail. The Sun notes concerns inside Whitehall about Burnham's time away from No10, while Louise Haigh has urged the government to govern boldly. The Express argues Burnham should use any new powers to scrap net zero policies, calling them "lunatic".

The bench notes: devolution proposals arrive in waves, usually when the centre is under pressure. Income tax sharing has been floated before - the Scotland Act 2016 gave Holyrood control over rates and bands, though collection remained reserved. The difference is consent: Scotland voted for a parliament. English regions have not voted for metro mayors to set their income tax, and Whitehall has historically treated fiscal devolution as a one-way valve - powers granted are rarely clawed back, even when the experiment disappoints.

What to watch: whether the Treasury publishes costings for the proposal, and whether any other metro mayor backs it publicly. If they stay silent, that tells you something about the appetite beyond Manchester.