Andy Burnham says volatility limited his first budget's scope
Briefing by News4U · First published
The Guardian reported that Prime Minister Andy Burnham admitted his first budget was not as radical as he would have liked because of economic uncertainty and geopolitical crises such as the war in Iran, which pushed up borrowing costs. He told ITV that the room for manoeuvre was limited by Labour’s 2024 manifesto, which ruled out raising income tax, national insurance or VAT, and said he would seek his own mandate in future. Burnham defended the £100 energy payment to 20 million households and said he wanted welfare reform that would prevent most young people from claiming benefits, but ruled out “brutal cuts”. [1]
Sources
- Andy Burnham admits he would have liked more radical first budget
The Guardian · · Full text