Kemi Badenoch will today tell Andy Burnham to “get his act together” and start behaving like the Prime Minister, in a blistering speech that lays bare the growing alarm over the new Labour government’s economic direction.
The Conservative Party leader is set to accuse the PM of lacking ambition for Britain and of thinking “like the Mayor of Manchester”, as she tears into a spending spree that has seen more than £1.6bn committed in a single week.
“Kemi Badenoch will tell Andy Burnham to ‘get his act together’ and rule out tax rises as the PM's spending commitments mount.”
On Monday, Burnham announced £340m to end rough sleeping. Tuesday brought an £850m energy bill cut. On Wednesday, he confirmed a £454m plan to cap bus fares at £2 — with further spending signalled on council housing, social care and nationalising utilities.
“Andy Burnham needs to do better,” Badenoch will say in central London. “He is still thinking like the Mayor of Manchester. But he is no longer the Mayor of Manchester. He is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He needs to lift his sights. Because the world will not wait for Andy to get his act together.”
She will also call on the PM to prioritise growth and come clean over planned tax rises, warning: “Andy Burnham needs to rule out tax rises to pay for his spending spree.”
The attack comes after the Daily Mail accused Burnham of heading a “fiscally illiterate government” and warned that if he tries to impose a 10% death tax on all estates, “the wave of rage will blow him away”.
Meanwhile, UnHerd argues that Burnham has no overarching economic strategy beyond “the usual platitudes of social justice”, inheriting a productivity crisis that has festered since 2008. The article contrasts him unfavourably with Bill Clinton, who “started off with an intelligent agenda”.
Badenoch is expected to tease Burnham over his social media persona, saying: “Andy Burnham seems like a nice guy. I’ve enjoyed his dodgy dancing and even the shocking revelation that he puts the milk first in his tea. I’m glad he has a sense of humour. It’s needed in this job.”
But the underlying message is stark: after a week of big announcements, the PM faces mounting pressure to show he has a plan — before the world stops waiting.