Andy Burnham has vowed to ease the cost of living if he becomes prime minister later this month, unveiling plans to cut business rates for high street pubs, de-privatise water and energy companies, and make bus travel free for 16- to 18-year-olds. In his first interview since returning to parliament as the newly elected Makerfield MP, Burnham told LBC's Andrew Marr that there was "room within [the 2024] manifesto for movement on tax", proposing higher business rates on warehouses and major developments on city outskirts to fund cuts for struggling pubs. "Britain is paying too much for the basics," he said. "People are paying too much, but businesses are also paying too much, and that is certainly true of energy."
The cost-of-living package, which allies say could also include a freeze on private sector rents, would be accompanied by a radical devolution plan: a new "No 10 North" in Manchester, which Burnham described as the "nerve centre of a rewired Britain". The pledge has drawn mixed reactions from the public. Che Connon, 54, a Newcastle-based CEO, said the concept of moving activities from London was good, but warned: "The focus needs to be on the concept of regional activities not on specific regions – otherwise it falls over with infighting." Lynda Mitchell, 67, a retired local authority manager from Plymouth, expressed frustration that Manchester was chosen again, saying she would have preferred Norwich, Truro or Penrith, where staff "would perhaps have been exposed to the realities many of us face".
“Andy Burnham pledges to cut business rates, de-privatise utilities and create a 'No 10 North' in Manchester.”
A study by Persuasion UK suggests Burnham's "cost of living populism" could win Labour 263 more seats if adopted as the party's platform. But enacting the promises carries risks. Wes Streeting, the former health secretary and likely cabinet member, has suggested raising capital gains tax, but Treasury officials warn it would not raise extra money. Experts also caution that bringing utilities under public control may not lower bills, given the levels of investment needed in the water industry. Burnham acknowledged the need for a plan to pay for his vision, telling Marr: "Britain needs more breathing space." Whether that space can be created without breaking borrowing rules remains an open question.