Andy Burnham's first week pledges – how much do they add up to?
Summary
Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced around £1.5 billion in government spending to address issues like rough sleeping, electricity bills, bus fares, and business rates for pubs. Some of this spending is funded, while other parts will require future budget adjustments or savings.Key Facts
- Burnham aims to end rough sleeping in England, spending £340 million over five years, funded from existing housing budgets.
- A VAT cut on domestic electricity bills will cost £850 million in 2026-27 and is currently unfunded; it is planned to be partially offset by scrapping a digital ID scheme.
- Bus fares outside London will be capped at £2 starting January 2027, costing more than £500 million, mostly funded by replacing grants with loans.
- Business rates for pubs, clubs, and live music venues in England will be cut by 20% from April 2027, at an estimated cost of £100 million per year.
- Funding for the pub business rates cut will come from reviewing reliefs for some businesses, like vape shops, but exact details are unclear.
- The digital ID scheme, which had been proposed to fund part of the VAT cut, was itself noted as unfunded by the official spending watchdog.
- Some of Burnham’s policies rely on uncertain loan repayments and future budget decisions to be fully paid for.
- The government is continuing some previously announced support for pubs alongside these new measures.
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