Burnham’s former economic adviser gives Budget a four out of 10 Earnings One of Andy Burnham’s former economic advisers has given John Healey’s Budget a four out of 10, warning there remained a 50 per cent chance the UK economy will be in worse shape next year than it is now. Andy Haldane, who for years served as chief economist at the Bank of England, told the [...]
Andy Haldane: This will be ‘a Budget for the backbenchers, not business’ Politics A former Bank of England chief economist has warned he expects to see “further borrowing” and “further tax rises” in next week’s Budget as he threw his weight behind Kemi Badenoch’s plan on the UK economy. Speaking at an Ipsos event, Andy Haldane said the Budget has been a “less lengthy and a less leaky [...]
Governments should spend more on welfare to tackle cost of living, says IMF Economics Governments across the world should prioritise targeted welfare support for low income households over broader measures like tax cuts to ease the cost of living, the International Monetary Fund has said. Policymakers should do more to protect vulnerable households from surges in inflation caused by geopolitical events like the Iran war, the IMF says in [...]
Burnham warns of ‘challenging’ Budget and hits back at ‘socialists with TikTok’ jibe September 16, 2026 Andy Burnham has warned Brits to expect a “challenging” Budget as he hit back at his former adviser for accusing him of being a “socialist with better TikToks”. Burnham’s comments will be interpreted as an indication that tax hikes will likely form part of October’s Budget, as his pledge to give households “breathing space” on [...]
Haldane warns Burnham on ‘tax-and-spend socialists with better TikTok videos’ September 16, 2026 Former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane has warned Prime Minister Andy Burnham that markets believe he is presiding over a “traditional tax and spend socialist government with better Tiktok videos”. Haldane, who advised Burnham before he returned to Westminster earlier this year, said the government’s “Achilles’ heel” was its inability to cut public [...]
Budget 2026: Which taxes will Burnham and Healey hike? August 25, 2026 With interest rates on course to remain elevated and a new government keen to win over sceptical voters with cost-of-living measures, economists think tax rises at October’s Budget are all but guaranteed. But where will the new Chancellor look for revenue? Ali Lyon and Mauricio Alencar examine the most likely revenue raisers. Speak to any [...]
Lord O’Neill declines job in Burnham government August 21, 2026 Former Goldman Sachs executive and Tory Treasury minister Lord Jim O’Neill has declined a job in Andy Burnham’s government, in a blow to the Prime Minister as he looks to woo business ahead of the Budget. O’Neill served as an informal economic adviser to Burnham before his election as Labour leader and had been in [...]
Where are Andy Burnham’s economic advisers? August 5, 2026 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 [...]
The seven growth tests every Budget must pass July 8, 2026 The next Budget will inevitably contain difficult fiscal choices. But before any measure is announced, ministers should be required to answer a far simpler question: What business behaviour is this designed to change, says David Bharier When Rachel Reeves stood at the despatch box on 30 October 2024 to deliver her first Budget, an employer [...]
Burnham told to launch £100bn tax reform package July 6, 2026 Andy Burnham has been urged to introduce sweeping tax reforms that could generate over £100bn in extra government revenue by a group of influential economists, which includes his own heavyweight adviser Jim O’Neill. A letter signed by O’Neill, who was formerly a Treasury minister and Goldman Sachs executive, urged the next Prime Minister to introduce [...]