Borrowing costs jump after Burnham ‘fiscal flexibility’ remarks Economics The government’s borrowing costs climbed sharply on Monday afternoon after Andy Burnham said he planned to juice government borrowing by taking advantage of “flexibility” in the current fiscal rules. The new Prime Minister told reporters that his administration would use all potential room within the self-imposed spending straitjacket, which he had promised not to loosen [...]
Top business group pitches Burnham for role as ‘delivery partner’ Business One of Britain’s top business groups is pitching itself as a delivery partner for Andy Burnham’s economic plans as the incoming Prime Minister pledges to deliver “growth in every postcode”. The British Chambers of Commerce, which has a presence in every region of the UK and represents some 50,000 businesses, is presenting itself as a [...]
Burnham: I’ll be a pro-business Prime Minister Politics Andy Burnham has vowed to be a pro-business Prime Minister who will reindustrialise Britain and support the country’s small businesses. Speaking after he was crowned Labour leader on Friday, the former Manchester mayor railed against “four decades of neoliberalism” which he said had seen political power concentrated in Westminster while “economic power was privatised”. In [...]
Burnham set for crunch decision on JP Morgan’s £10bn tower July 16, 2026 Andy Burnham’s government will face a crunch decision on the future of JP Morgan’s flagship tower in Canary Wharf as it weighs whether to uphold a major tax break for the project despite opposition from industry groups. The next Chancellor will serve as the final arbiter on the framework of a business rates exemption for [...]
OECD sounds alarm on pension triple lock in challenge to Burnham July 15, 2026 The world’s leading independent economic organisation has warned that reform of the triple lock on state pensions is “necessary to reduce fiscal risks”, in a challenge to Andy Burnham as he prepares to take over as Prime Minister. The OECD, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, described the triple lock guarantee as “unusually generous [...]
Businesses slam brakes on hiring over Burnham uncertainty July 13, 2026 The UK’s lofty tax bill and concerns surrounding the direction of an Andy Burnham premiership have led to a subdued jobs market, new research suggests, as employers pause hiring whilst they wait for further clarity on the likely incoming Prime Minister’s tax policies. Available jobs in London slumped five per cent in the second quarter [...]
Rolls-Royce shares rise as Burnham pledges investment in British defence July 9, 2026 Shares in London-listed defence firms including Rolls-Royce and Babcock rose on Thursday morning after Prime Minister-to-be Andy Burnham pledged to drive investment into Britain’s defence industry. The Makerfield MP said strengthening Britain’s defence will be his “first priority” if he enters Number 10 – as he is expected to later this month – but insisted [...]
Voters expect Burnham to hike taxes July 8, 2026 Taxes will rise to even higher levels under Andy Burnham’s government as the likely-incoming Prime Minister ramps up spending on council housing and public services, voters have predicted. City AM/Freshwater polling has shown that more than half of voters expect taxes to increase under Burnham’s government regardless of which Labour figure takes over from Rachel [...]
We’re being taxed out of existence, companies warn July 6, 2026 Investment by British businesses has fallen to its lowest level since the pandemic as companies warn they are being “taxed out of existence”, one of Britain’s biggest business groups has found. The proportion of firms planning to increase investment fell to just 17 per cent in the second quarter, down from 21 per cent in [...]
Burnham’s high street tax plan carries £880m price tag July 6, 2026 Andy Burnham’s plans to overhaul business rates in favour of Britain’s high streets could cost around £880m a year, according to new analysis, as questions mount over how the Labour leadership frontrunner would pay for one of his first major tax reforms. Forecasts by global tax firm Ryan suggest Burnham’s proposal to expand Small Business [...]