Burnham blames geopolitical tensions and Labour manifesto for timid budget
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Prime Minister Andy Burnham defended a cautious first budget by pointing to war-driven borrowing costs and Labour's own manifesto shackles, while promising further welfare changes.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told ITV that the first budget he delivered was less radical than he had hoped because economic uncertainty and external events such as the war in Iran pushed borrowing costs higher. He said the "room for manoeuvre wasn’t what I would have hoped it to be" and argued that the government had to live within the hard realities created by international turbulence and Labour's own promises.
Chancellor John Healey announced a series of low-cost measures, including a £100 payment to most households to help with winter energy bills. Burnham described the payment to 20 million households as "quite a significant step" but admitted that a larger handout would have been preferable.
The prime minister also indicated that he intends to pursue major welfare reforms in the coming months, aiming to reduce the number of young people claiming benefits. He said any changes would avoid "brutal cuts" that could push people into "absolute crisis" and emphasized that benefits should only be needed for those unable to work due to disability or other reasons.
Burnham, who entered office promising to end "40 years of neoliberalism" and to introduce higher taxes on wealth and utility nationalisation, said the current Labour 2024 manifesto limited options such as raising income tax, national insurance or VAT. He added that he would seek a new mandate before pursuing those policies.
Opposition leader Kemi Badenoch criticised the budget, suggesting many listeners might wonder "is that it?".