𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Andy Burnham is facing criticism after announcing plans for mayors to keep share of tax collected in their area. The Prime Minister said by letting mayors keep a slice of income tax and business rates he will “make good” on his pledge to “take power out of Westminster and carry it into every postcode in the country”.

But Shadow Local Government Secretary James Cleverly warned that the move “will lead to higher taxes, with no guarantee of better outcomes for local people”.

Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride added: “This is another Andy Burnham announcement that makes big claims while being very short on the detail.

“Unless Burnham is going to launch another tax raid elsewhere, borrow even more, or make cuts to central government grant, there is no new money being announced here. If local areas which see stronger growth are to end up with more funding, that could mean those who lose out are precisely those areas which have seen weaker local economies over recent years – the opposite of what Andy Burnham claims he wants to achieve.”

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