{"text":[[{"start":10,"text":"Andy Burnham has vowed to rein in Britain’s vast outsourcing industry, telling Labour MPs that he wants to bring government contracts in-house, exerting more public control."}],[{"start":20.6,"text":"Burnham, the UK’s prime minister-in-waiting, made the comments in an online hustings with MPs on Monday evening in which he was the only candidate. He will be anointed Labour leader on Friday unopposed and enter 10 Downing Street on July 20."}],[{"start":35.7,"text":"During the hustings Burnham promised to unite the Labour Party by assembling a “broad church” ministerial team and tried to reassure MPs that his approach would not be excessively focused on Manchester."}],[{"start":47.75,"text":"Burnham, former Greater Manchester mayor, has promised to extend public control to areas including housing, transport, energy and water, but at the hustings he also focused on the outsourcing of public services to the private sector."}],[{"start":62.25,"text":"One participant on the call said Burnham criticised an “outsourced state with little accountability” and said he wanted to see “insourcing” of contracts. The account was not disputed by Burnham’s team."}],[{"start":74.3,"text":"Every year, £400bn of public money is spent on government contracts, according to the Cabinet Office. "}],[{"start":80.85,"text":"In March Sir Keir Starmer’s government announced it would stop “outsourcing by default” and would look again at whether more services could be delivered in-house."}],[{"start":90.94999999999999,"text":"Burnham also used the hustings to try to reassure MPs that he would unite the party. An ally of Burnham said: “Andy said the Labour movement is, and always has been, a broad church."}],[{"start":102.89999999999999,"text":"“Cabinet appointments will reflect that, alongside contribution, experience and commitment.”"}],[{"start":108.85,"text":"Many Labour MPs felt that Starmer was a remote leader but Burnham promised a more inclusive culture, vowing to create a “team and culture where everyone is valued, seen and listened to”."}],[{"start":120.64999999999999,"text":"One Labour MP said Burnham had also sought to convince colleagues that he would not be “Manchester-centric” and not just parcel powers out to powerful city-region mayors."}],[{"start":130.75,"text":"“He said he would make sure it works for Wales, Scotland, rural, coastal and the south-east. And it won’t just all be about mayors,” the MP said. "}],[{"start":139.1,"text":"“That’s savvy because a complaint of a large number of colleagues is that any new powers go to mayors and combined authorities, leaving regular unitary councils behind.” A major overhaul of local government in more than a dozen cities is expected to be approved in the days before Burnham takes power."}],[{"start":156.2,"text":"Burnham’s march to Number 10 has acquired unstoppable momentum. After nominations opened last Thursday, some 349 of the party’s 403 MPs have endorsed him to replace Starmer."}],[{"start":168.7,"text":"During the hustings on Monday, Burnham said he would build on the “good work” done by Starmer in rebuilding bridges with the EU but confirmed he did not want to enter into a debate about rejoining the bloc."}],[{"start":181.75,"text":"“He said that now is not the time to rerun the debates of 10 years ago but he said the public want to see a better relationship,” said one Labour MP."}],[{"start":190.9,"text":"He also told MPs he was prepared to “spend political capital” on reforming social care, a longstanding project for the politician who won the Makerfield by-election last month."}],[{"start":202,"text":"Another MP said Burnham said he wanted to focus on “good jobs” and would support investment and innovation."}],[{"start":218.5,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1783998778_5410.mp3"}