Burnham hits the road to sell cost-of-living plan as Budget looms
The prime minister kicks off a nationwide tour on Monday to unveil fresh cost-of-living support while opposition parties dismiss the move as a distraction from tax rises.
Andy Burnham will launch a national tour on Monday, stepping outside Westminster to announce a fresh package of cost-of-living measures aimed at giving households "room to breathe" as inflation remains stubbornly high.
The tour marks the prime minister's most direct engagement with voters since taking office, building on his first-week decisions to cut energy costs and cap bus fares at £2. He is expected to detail plans to revive struggling high streets and tackle hidden pricing that he argues has been accepted as inevitable for too long.
Budget constraints limit immediate action
Despite the fanfare, significant new spending is unlikely before the Autumn Budget. Healey has pledged "strong fiscal discipline," a stance reinforced by warnings from the Citi chief that further tax rises risk driving banks out of the UK. The prime minister's 10-year plan will therefore lean heavily on regulatory changes, such as the 20 per cent business-rates cut for pubs and hospitality venues, rather than direct fiscal stimulus.
Opposition rounds on 'vanity tour'
Critics across the aisle have lined up to attack the initiative. Mel Stride, the shadow chancellor, accused the government of "breathtaking hypocrisy," arguing that tax increases and red tape are crushing high streets. Daisy Cooper, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson, labelled the tour a "vanity project" while businesses teeter on the brink.
If Andy Burnham wants to help people with the cost of living, he should scrap the green levies and taxes on energy bills and rule out tax rises at the Budget.
Robert Jenrick, Reform UK's economic spokesperson, went further, demanding the removal of green levies from energy bills and a guarantee against tax rises in the Budget. The prime minister's office counters that the tour is about "meeting people where they are" and refusing to accept everyday rip-offs as a fact of life.
With the Middle East conflict keeping inflation above target, the tour's real test will be whether the measures announced over the coming weeks can deliver tangible relief before the Budget, or whether they merely set the stage for harder choices in October.
