Andy Burnham has suffered a humiliating blow hours after announcing a tax proposal, as a pub owner branded the plan 'of no use whatsoever'. The Makerfield MP, tipped to become the next prime minister after Keir Starmer's departure, told LBC's Andrew Marr there is 'some room within [the 2024] manifesto for movement on tax'. He proposed increasing business rates on warehouses to fund a 20 per cent cut on rates for pubs.
Pub owner dismisses Burnham's proposal
Marc Bridgen, owner of The Dog at Wingham, appeared on GB News and criticised the plan. He told presenters Stephen Dixon and Ellie Costello: 'I heard from what I thought was a pretty good source, who works alongside Andy Burnham, that Andy had privately said he was going to review the VAT. I think he's intimated that over recent weeks. It feels like we might be getting his first U-turn because if he's just going to do business rates, cut by 20 per cent, that's no use whatsoever.'
Burnham's comments on LBC
On LBC, Burnham stated: 'There is some room within [the 2024] manifesto for movement on tax. So if you take business rates, for instance, I believe there is a case for higher business rates on warehouses and the major developments we see on the outskirts of our cities, so that we can cut business rates for pubs.' He added: 'Britain is paying too much for the basics. People are paying too much, but businesses are also paying too much, and that is certainly true of energy.' Burnham also outlined plans for more public control over water, energy, and transport to reduce bills and fares, saying: 'Britain needs more breathing space … We do need to be serious about putting more money back into people's pockets.'
