Is Burnham’s No 10 North working out?

The so-called "No 10 North" operation under Andy Burnham is facing scrutiny as Labour confronts mounting pressure over welfare reform and youth unemployment. The Milburn Report on youth unemployment is due in one week, with Sam Coates and Anne McElvoy examining whether the government's approach is working. Meanwhile, civil service head Antonia Romeo is preparing Whitehall for a spending squeeze, and the Conservatives are planning their own response. The convergence of the report's release and budget tightening makes the coming days a key test of whether Burnham's influence is translating into policy traction.