Public control of water and energy at heart of Burnham agenda, sources say

Andy Burnham is yet to spell out what bringing energy and water back under public ownership would mean on a national scale. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/Getty

A decade-long project to bring water and energy into public control will lie at the heart of Andy Burnham’s agenda should he become prime minister, according to sources close to the Greater Manchester mayor.

Several close allies of Burnham have said he wants to take over broad swathes of UK utilities in an effort to improve performance and potentially reduce bills for consumers.