Andy Burnham rejects 'anti-London' claims: 'I want to free up the city to go faster and further'

Andy Burnham has rejected allegations that he is biased against the capital saying that he wants to “free up London to go faster and further”.In an exclusive interview with The Standard, the new Prime Minister hit back at claims that he is “anti-London”.Andy Burnham has backed Sir Sadiq Khan standing for a fourth term as Mayor of LondonPA ArchiveMr Burnham is also expected to channel billions more funding to the regions in his bid to deliver “good growth in every postcode” and rebalance Britain’s economy, raising fears that key transport projects in London could lose out.However, one of his key economic advisers, Lord O’Neill of Gatley, has urged him to focus on London, the West Midlands and the Northern Powerhouse of Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds, as he seeks stronger growth for the UK.Pressed whether former Goldman Sachs chief economist Lord O’Neill was right, the PM told The Standard: “I fully agree with him that London is the powerhouse of the country, and what I want to do as Prime Minister through Number 10 North is free up London to go much further and faster. “So, what I've already done as Prime Minister is allocate funding through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme. Mr Burnham added: “London can go to the next level.“I want to work with Sadiq to make sure that he's got all the backing from me and Number 10 North to take London forward.” Sir James Cleverly is seeking to become Mayor of LondonPA WireBraintree MP and ex-London Assembly member Sir James also criticised Sir Sadiq as someone who is “not going to stand up to Andy Burnham's full-throated attack on London's prosperity”. Read MoreBut he rejected ex-Home Secretary Sir James’ attack, branding the anti-London claim as “ludicrous”.He stressed that he had no plans to embark on any major reform of property tax imminently.He has also argued that by rebalancing Britain’s economy, housing and cost-of-living pressures on London can be eased.Sir Sadiq Khan is seeking to step up council and social housebuilding in LondonPA Wire“You will see that London was the significant beneficiary,” he explained. “And the reason for that is because London has got more advanced housing powers.“It's been able, with its 30 or so boroughs, to develop stronger plans to build a new generation of council housing in London.“We've set up London now with the funding to do that to be a template then for other parts of the country.”