Andy Burnham to go on national tour to hear cost of living concerns

Andy Burnham will kick off a national tour in the coming week to ask the public how the government can improve their lives.

Officials said the prime minister would be in “listening mode” as he spends much of the rest of August travelling the country to discuss the cost of living.

Having promised to give the public “breathing space”, he is expected to unveil a series of measures intended to help with bills.

It comes after the PM cut VAT from energy bills from October and announced a £2 cap on bus fares across England in his first week in Downing Street.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham at a meeting at the new No 10 North. / Credit: PA

Burnham will also focus on improving high streets, using his summer tour to inform his 10-year plan for the country, officials say.

A spokesperson for the prime minister said he would be “getting out of Westminster and meeting people where they are”.

“He thinks Westminster has got used to telling people that everyday hassles – like hidden pricing and consumers being ripped off – must be accepted as part of life,” they added.

“He doesn’t think that’s right. That’s why he’s going to start rolling out a series of pro-consumer cost-of-living measures to give people some room to breathe.”

Opposition figures have accused Burnham of “tinkering” with his announcements and have suggested some of his policies are damaging to growth.

Reform UK’s economic spokesman Robert Jenrick said the PM should “scrap green levies and taxes on energy bills”, and rule out tax rises in October’s budget.

He added: “It’s high time the Labour Party cut the ballooning benefits bill so we can relieve pressure on the hardworking majority that hold our country together.”

Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride accused Burnham of “breathtaking hypocrisy”, arguing tax hikes and “red tape” were “hammering our high streets”, forcing businesses to close and driving up prices.

He added: “Meanwhile Labour are plotting to release dangerous criminals onto our streets, leaving people feeling unsafe in their communities.

“If Burnham is really serious about cutting the cost of living, he should adopt our plan for stronger high streets – including scrapping business rates for thousands of high street firms.

“And if he wants people to feel proud of the places where they live, he should scrap his disastrous plans to let vile criminals walk free.”

Lib Dem Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said: “Struggling high street businesses have been pushed to the brink by Labour’s tax hikes and unnecessary new red tape.

“They need more than a new PM embarking on a vanity tour this summer.

“If the Prime Minister is serious about revitalising our town centres, he should immediately adopt the Liberal Democrats’ plan to breathe life back into our high streets.

“That means reversing the damaging jobs tax, delivering an emergency VAT cut for hospitality, replacing broken business rates and cracking down on the ghost landlords leaving our shopfronts vacant.”