ACCEPTING the fiscal rules will hinder Andy Burnham’s ability to deliver fundamental change, campaigners and unions warned the incoming PM today.

The PM-in-waiting revealed a decade-long plan setting out what he called a “new direction” for Britain, giving regions new powers to control essential utilities, transport and housing.

The former Greater Manchester mayor pledged to transfer power away from Whitehall in his first major speech since Sir Keir Starmer announced his departure as PM.

Mr Burnham said the Westminster system was “broken” and “as a result, the country isn’t where it should be.”

Proposing to create a No10 of the North in Manchester, he said this new operation could become the “nerve centre of a rewired Britain,” which would oversee the “biggest council house building programme since the post war period.”

The newly elected Makerfield MP also promised that regions would take “greater public control of essential services,” including water, energy and transport.

Promising to take on Whitehall’s resistance to change, Mr Burnham said his plan would mean the “biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen.”

“Ours is a 10-year mission to raise people’s living standards,” he said. “I know people can’t wait forever for change.

“I will do my very best to deliver it, and whilst not taking risks with the public finances, will seek to give Britain some breathing space as soon as I can.”

Mr Burnham claimed his project would be based on “the stability that comes from sound public finances” and that he would stick to “the discipline of our current fiscal rules.”

Keep Our NHS Public co-chair Dr John Puntis warned that accepting current fiscal rules would mean “willingly donning a straitjacket that will prevent the ability to deliver fundamental change.

“No programme of national renewal will succeed unless it is built on a renewed commitment to the NHS as a publicly funded, publicly provided and publicly accountable service.”

The campaign’s co-chair Dr Tony O’Sullivan added: “Public services cannot be renewed while the country’s biggest public service continues to face unprecedented pressure.

“Patients, staff and carers need a clear vision for restoring the NHS as the cornerstone of national renewal.”

We Own It slammed the incoming PM’s talk of greater public control as “misleading,” with its director Cat Hobbs saying: “It’s not enough, we need public ownership so that all profits can be reinvested and we can have real accountability to households.”

She added that the new MP was in a “honeymoon period,” but that people would soon wonder “why they’re still being totally ripped off, why their bills are so high for such rubbish service.

“Public ownership is a vote-winner but only if Burnham really goes for it, the whole hog, standing up for the public, not shareholders around the world.”

Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn warned the incoming PM against repeating the same “catastrophic mistake” as Sir Keir did in going after “the sick and disabled to fund his thirst for war.”

The Your Party leader said: “Instead of wasting billions on weapons, we should invest in schools, renewable energy and our NHS.”

He added: “Devolution is welcome, but it is not enough to fix the crises facing us all.”

Mr Corbyn also called for the new government to end all sales to Israel, impose sanctions and establish an inquiry looking into Britain’s participation in the genocide in Gaza.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called today’s speech “a good start,” but that “actions will speak louder than words.”

“His promise to reindustrialise our regions and nations with support for UK steel, defence, energy, food and agriculture is much needed,” she said.

“As is his plan to bring our utilities, like water, energy and transport, back into public control and his proposal to revise our procurement rules to ensure taxpayers money is used to buy British.”

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said Mr Burnham’s commitment “to backing British industry, creating and securing good jobs in every corner of the country and boosting skills needs to be delivered at pace.

“The new prime minister must have a laser focus on living standards. This needs to be a reset moment for British politics.”

Mr Burnham could become prime minister on July 20 if he is the only contender to replace Sir Keir as Labour leader.

Former defence minister Al Carns has yet to rule out the possibility of standing, but it remains unclear if he could collect 81 names needed to stand.