‘Avanti Andy’ needs to realise Britain doesn’t start at Euston and terminate at Manchester Piccadilly, says Ed Davey

EMBARGO: 2230 Thursday 9th July 2026

‘Avanti Andy’ needs to realise Britain doesn’t start at Euston and terminate at Manchester Piccadilly, says Ed Davey

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey will visit Torbay this Friday [10th July] to issue to issue a stark warning to presumptive Prime Minister Andy Burnham, declaring that “Avanti Andy is heading for signal failure” if his No.10 North and devolution plans continue to ignore left-behind communities across the UK.

The Liberal Democrats are warning that Burnham’s approach risks derailing the needs of communities across places like the South West, Yorkshire, the East of England, North East, Wales and Scotland.

On a visit to Torbay, the Liberal Democrat leader will say that shifting the physical location of the Prime Minister’s office does nothing to fix the inequalities facing many coastal and rural areas, and instead may create a new bubble of power that actually pushes the Government even further away from communities like those in the South West.

Recent polling has shown a stark crisis of confidence for 'Avanti Andy', with recent Public First research finding 48% of respondents in the South West region do not trust Burnham.

Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey said:

"London and Manchester are brilliant cities and engines of innovation for our country, but Avanti Andy is heading for signal failure if he doesn’t rapidly realise there is a Britain that lies beyond the tracks connecting Euston and Manchester Piccadilly.

"From the Devon coast to Swansea’s streets and Shetland’s shores, people are utterly fed up with being overlooked. Andy Burnham has a very short window to turn this government around, end the chaos and build trust with communities the whole length and breadth of the UK.

“From restoring axed rural bus services to saving our high streets from terminal decay, Liberal Democrats will be holding Avanti Andy to account on putting real power back into the hands of local communities.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Public First polling is here https://www.politico.eu/article/the-politico-poll-the-south-doesnt-trust-king-of-the-north-andy-burnham/