Key facts
- Andy Burnham has outlined proposals to address the cost of living crisis.
- Key proposals include reducing business rates for certain high street businesses.
- He plans to lower water and energy costs through increased public control of utility companies.
- Free bus travel for 16- to 18-year-olds is also part of his plan.
- Burnham stated he would not break government borrowing rules to fund these policies.
Andy Burnham, the MP for Makerfield, has detailed a series of policy proposals aimed at alleviating the cost of living crisis, should he be elected prime minister. In an interview with LBC's Andrew Marr, Burnham outlined plans that include reducing business rates for specific high street businesses, such as pubs, by increasing rates on warehouses and major developments. He also proposed bringing down essential costs like water and energy by increasing public control over these sectors. Free bus travel for individuals aged 16 to 18 was another key pledge. Burnham indicated that these measures could be part of a broader cost-of-living package, with allies suggesting more radical steps like a temporary freeze on private sector rents. He emphasized that his fiscal approach would remain disciplined, assuring that he would not violate government borrowing rules, drawing on his past experience in the Treasury and Department of Health. Burnham also confirmed his intention to establish a "No 10 North" operation in Manchester, with a digital campus near Piccadilly station as his preferred location, signaling a commitment to decentralizing power from Westminster.