Burnham’s big plans: on the right track?

The Frankfurter Rundschau sums up the contents of Burnham’s recent publications and a speech he delivered on Monday:

“In a nutshell, Burnham sees the solution first and foremost in the regionalisation of power – referred to in English as ‘devolution’, a term everyone there understands. What has already proved beneficial for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland could also be the way forward for England. … A written constitution, proportional rather than first-past-the-post voting, a Senate of Nations and Regions and a comprehensive, climate-neutral reindustrialisation of the north of England – these would aim to provide additional support for devolution. This may seem too theoretical, too top-down, but Burnham counters this with his approachable, hands-on style. … Burnham’s populism is left-wing in the sense that it is constructive and progressive. That is, of course, no guarantee of success.”