Labour MPs turn on Andy Burnham's 10-year plan as ministers accuse PM of not being radical enough

Labour MPs have expressed their concerns over Andy Burnham's 10-year plan, claiming it may not be radical or detailed enough.

The Prime Minister insisted in September the proposals, which had been touted as his blueprint for governing, would "set out plans for stronger public control over these essentials, making them work for people and places again".

However, some MPs in the Reindustrialisation Research Group (ReRG) - established in July of this year to scrutinise the PM's policies on declining industry in the UK - are expected to share their concerns about the plan in a meeting with Cabinet Office minister Sally Jameson today, according to The Guardian.

Their particular worries are centred around Mr Burnham's long-term strategy, the newspaper claims, particularly his lack of plans to revive heavy industry.

Andy MacNae, the head of ReRG, told the newspaper: "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.

"We have had really good engagement from ministers, but we need to see something more constructive and we are just not seeing that at the moment. The risk is we don’t see reindustrialisation at all, and continue to see deindustrialisation."

Jonathan Hinder, another member of the group, said that "reindustrialisation cannot just be about political slogans" and "we need pretty drastic action, but we are not yet seeing that from this government."

The long-promised 10-point plan will be announced before the Christmas recess, Mr Burnham confirmed during PMQs this afternoon.

The plan's announcement is expected to be followed by a consultation, which could last up to nine months, rather than establishing what exact measures ministers will take and how the measures will be funded.

The ReRG are calling on the Prime Minister to create a minister for reindustrialisation and to introduce energy support for industrial companies as part of the plan.

But while the Chancellor previously vowed "a new age of industrialisation", MPs in the group are still demanding a meeting with Mrs Jameson to express their concerns.

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They have also raised questions over who is writing the dossier, after reports Boston Consulting Group were involved.

Kemi Badenoch jibed at the Prime Minister at PMQs this afternoon, asking if he "has so little vision" for Britain that he needed the group to "write it for him".

Later on, Mrs Badenoch questioned the Prime Minister in the Commons on why the Rosebank oil site in the North Sea is still waiting for the green light, despite plans to reindustrialise.

Labour approved the Jackdaw oil field in the North Sea last month, with Mr Burnham saying he "welcomes" the decision.

"Why else did it take the Labour Government two years to approve Jackdaw while the Foreign Secretary [Mr Miliband] was in charge, and now he’s gone, it happened just like that?" she asked.

"That’s the real reason they didn’t do it - the Foreign Secretary instructed Government lawyers not to fight the court case."

Mr Burnham insisted a decision on the site will be "taken in due course".

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