Key facts
- Labour MPs in the Reindustrialisation Research Group are meeting Cabinet Office minister Sally Jameson on Wednesday.
- The group says it is concerned Burnham's 10-year plan will not be radical or detailed enough on heavy industry.
- Andy MacNae said there are gaps in the government's reindustrialisation strategy that the plan should fill.
- The ReRG wants a minister for reindustrialisation and No 10 North in Manchester to oversee the agenda.
- Downing Street said Boston Consulting Group is providing one consultant to help with the plan.
Labour MPs in the Reindustrialisation Research Group are meeting Sally Jameson, the Cabinet Office minister, on Wednesday to raise concerns that Andy Burnham's 10-year plan for government will not be radical or detailed enough, The Times reported on November 11, 2026.
The group's members, many of whom represent red wall seats that helped Labour win the last election, say they are particularly concerned about the prime minister's commitment to reviving Britain's heavy industries, which they say are being crushed by high energy prices and a lack of government support.
Andy MacNae, the head of the group, said: "There are a lot of gaps in the government's reindustrialisation strategy which are not yet filled. The 10-year plan is a chance to fill them, but in the briefings we have been given that is not what we are seeing." He added: "The risk is we don't see reindustrialisation at all, and continue to see deindustrialisation."
Jonathan Hinder, another member of the group, said: "Making reindustrialisation cannot just be about political slogans. We are going in the wrong direction and we need pretty drastic action, but we are not yet seeing that from this government."
Burnham has billed the 10-year plan as the defining blueprint for what he wants to achieve in government, including bringing utilities under public control, reducing bills and establishing a national care service. MPs had been told to expect it before the end of the year, but the prime minister said last week it could be delayed until January.
The ReRG called before the budget for Healey to expand the British industrial competitiveness scheme, which reduces energy costs for about 10,000 businesses. The chancellor used his budget to announce a £100 council tax rebate to help households pay their energy bills over the winter, but did not announce changes to the business support scheme.
MPs on the ReRG are calling for the prime minister to use the 10-year plan to announce immediate energy bill support for industrial companies, create a minister for reindustrialisation and empower No 10 North in Manchester to oversee the agenda. Some say briefings by ministers in recent days suggest the plan will be a modest document subject to lengthy consultation, and many say they are unclear on who is leading the process of writing it.
Peter Hyman, who previously advised Keir Starmer on his missions, is reported to be overseeing the writing process, though officials insist Burnham himself will make the key decisions. Many MPs say they are worried about the involvement of Boston Consulting Group, which previously employed Burnham's chief of staff, James Purnell. One MP said: "The idea that BCG are going to be involved in reindustrialising Britain feels like a tragic joke." Downing Street has said BCG is only providing one consultant, while Burnham has insisted the plan will be more radical than many think.