𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Andy Burnham is on course to be the UK’s next Prime Minister, following Keir Starmer’s resignation. Standing outside 10 Downing Street on Monday, Sir Keir said: “I leave the biggest job in the country”. And Mr Burnham, the former Greater Manchester Mayor, is almost certain to fill the vacancy.

But what will he do once he takes over? Mr Burnham has spoken out on a number of issues in recent years. It means we have a good idea what to expect from a Burnham-led government.

Tax

Mr Burnham has committed to Labour’s manifesto promise not to hike the main rates of income tax, VAT or National Insurance.

But one big change he is expected to look at is introducing a Land of Value Tax (LVT), to replace stamp duty and council tax. Supporters of this policy say it could make homeownership more accessible to people with limited financial backing, and ensure people with high levels of wealth pay more tax.

Welfare

The new MP for Makerfield is a supporter of reforming social care and has been since 2006. He has suggested inheritance tax should be replaced with a “national care levy”, which in 2023 he said would mean “care [that] is provided is free” and “everybody would pay, but obviously the wealthiest would pay the most.”

Immigration

Mr Burnham believes migration “needs to fall further”. The Office for National Statistics showed that net migration was 171,000 last year. This has been its lowest since 2012 (excluding Covid pandemic years). Mr Burnham has said Britain needs to make more use of immigration detention centres.

Defence

At the top of the potential new Prime Minister’s in-tray will be the delayed defence investment plan, which sparked the resignation of former Defence Secretary John Healey.

Mr Burnham is expected to press ahead with the existing Government’s plan to boost defence spending to hit 3% of GDP by 2030.

Spending is currently on course to fall short at 2.68%.

On defence, Mr Burnham has said “the plan would be to reduce the welfare bill” to fund new defence investment.

Pensioners

Mr Burnham has committed to keeping the triple lock on state pensions. The triple lock ensures the state pension rises by whichever is highest out of wage growth, inflation or 2.5%.

He has also suggested older people who depend entirely on the state pension should not be charged income tax.

Mr Burnham has ruled out giving compensation to 1950s-born “Waspi” women, who lost money because of changes to the state pension age.

Brexit

Mr Burnham has said in the past that he wants the UK back into the EU in “his lifetime”. And he backed former Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s views that leaving the EU was a “catastrophic mistake”. But Mr Burnham more recently said he is “not proposing that the UK considers rejoining the EU”.