Net zero and DEI targets cut from procurement rules as firms pressed to raise pay and hire NEETs Politics Net zero, modern slavery and equality rules are set to be stripped from procurement rules as Andy Burnham’s premiership looks to force firms to prioritise job creation. Several major tenders for government contracts feature a list of “conditions of participation” that require firms to report on net zero, diversity, ESG –environmental, social, and governance for [...]
Where are Andy Burnham’s economic advisers? Politics Andy Burnham’s allies boasted that highly-regarded economists had been lured as advisers. Mauricio Alencar and Ali Lyon report on the non-appointments of some of Britain’s best economists – and what the Prime Minister and Chancellor’s new teams look like. In the end, all it took was a few rumours. In the weeks leading up to [...]
Reeves: Burnham will face ‘shocks and challenges’ as Prime Minister Politics Rachel Reeves has warned Andy Burnham that he will face “shocks and challenges” as he takes the reins as Prime Minister and will need a “worked through plan” to govern. The Chancellor said that the incoming Prime Minister “needs to stay laser-focused on those things that have always motivated him” as he enters Downing Street [...]
Burnham to unveil plans for devolution and ‘reindustrialisation’ June 28, 2026 Andy Burnham will unveil plans to devolve power away from London and shift some government operations to a “Number 10 in the North”, as the Prime Minister-to-be calls for a change in “how Britain is governed”. In a speech focused on growth on Monday morning, Burnham will say that a 10-year plan will focus on [...]
Top Burnham adviser calls for capital gains and inheritance tax hikes June 28, 2026 Andy Burnham’s top adviser has called for capital gains and inheritance tax to be hiked and the fiscal rules to be loosened so the government can borrow billions. Ex-transport secretary Louise Haigh, who led Burnham’s Makerfield campaign and is set to take a senior position in his Cabinet, is also pushing to dismantle the Treasury. [...]
Burnham camp goes quiet on hospitality VAT cut June 25, 2026 Allies of Prime Minister-to-be Andy Burnham have gone quiet on whether he would slash VAT for hospitality despite previously backing calls to do so and committing to a raft of other measures to support pubs, restaurants and bars. The outgoing Mayor of Greater Manchester had previously said he would back calls to cut value-added tax [...]
Former Bank of England rate-setter to become next OBR chair June 23, 2026 A former rate-setter at the Bank of England and member of Morning Wire’s Shadow Monetary Policy Committee is set to become the chair of the Office for Budget Responsibility, the fiscal watchdog which has come under pressure from MPs and inadvertently leaked last year’s Budget. Jonathan Haskel, professor of economics at Imperial College London, will [...]
Burnham to lay out economic plan, but markets fear Miliband as Chancellor June 23, 2026 With more than three weeks to go before he can formally clinch the keys to 10 Downing Street, leadership challenger Andy Burnham is planning to make a major speech on the economy next week. It’s part of an effort to reassure the bond markets – to which he once said we shouldn’t be “in hock” [...]
OBR chiefs warn jostling Labour MPs against fiscal rules change May 19, 2026 Office for Budget Responsibility chiefs have warned Labour activists against changing the fiscal rules and overall framework to account for longer term impacts of government investment. The OBR’s David Miles and Tom Josephs said a ten-year forecast horizon would make for a “less credible” economic report and may not have any impact on bond investors. [...]
Louise Haigh doubles down on demand for OBR overhaul February 24, 2026 Former transport secretary and vocal soft-left backbencher Louise Haigh has issued another plea for Chancellor Rachel Reeves to overhaul the Office for Budget Responsibility a week before the Spring Statement. In a swipe at the Chancellor’s management of the UK economy, Haigh argued that mandating the watchdog to produce five-year forecast windows “risks entrenching decline”. [...]