LEIGH MP and shadow home secretary Andy Burnham has launched his bid to become the first elected Mayor of Greater Manchester.

Mr Burnham delivered a speech in Salford in which he asked Labour members to back his vision to make the region a beacon of social justice and said he wants to rebalance the country from South to North.

The former Health Secretary, who has been Leigh MP for the past 15 years, set out plans for a revolution in technical education and the UK’s first fully-integrated National Health and Care Service and called on the Government to fork out for new high-speed East-West rail services across the North of England.

Mr Burnham, who finished runner-up to Jeremy Corbyn in last year’s Labour leadership contest, will battle party colleagues Ivan Lewis, MP for Bury South and Interim Mayor Tony Lloyd for Labour’s nomination for the new position.

The winner will then battle to become the first elected Greater Manchester Mayor in a landmark vote on May 4 next year.

Whoever wins that vote will take on the lead role in delivering historic devolution powers to the conurbation.

Speaking at the Lowry Theatre, the Liverpudlian said: “Centuries of our Westminster system have made England a very unequal country.

“Put bluntly, Westminster has failed the North. It has left us with an uneven share of resources, power and life chances. The London perspective on life dominates the political debate and does not do justice to the challenges that people here face.

“In my 15 years in Parliament, I have consistently challenged that. But now I want to go a step further. I am ready to leave Westminster and devote myself to this new task of rebalancing our country from South to North. This is an unprecedented moment when we have a chance to do just that. I am not prepared to let it pass. I want Labour to grab it, to put our stamp on it and change politics in our country for the better.

Outlining his credentials for the role, he added: “The Mayor of Greater Manchester is a Cabinet-level job that requires Cabinet-level experience.

“If done right, it can make a real difference. I believe I have got what it takes to make a success of it. But I've also got a passion for this place and its people and, most importantly, a vision for what it can be in the future.”

He added: “Greater Manchester can be even greater than it is today. A major European economic and creative centre — unashamedly entrepreneurial and endlessly innovative — but at the same time, and here is the crucial part, a beacon of social justice in this country and to Europe and the world.”