Andy Burnham is under mounting pressure after new figures revealed that Greater Manchester spent nearly £27 million a year on external consultants under his mayoralty, a significant increase from £8.7 million in 2019 to £26.9 million in 2025. This spending surge comes despite Labour's pledge to reduce consultant expenditure, leading to accusations of hypocrisy from the Conservatives.
Conservative chairman slams 'hypocrisy'
Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake said: "This is classic do as I say, not as I do from Andy Burnham. The same man who branded spending on management consultants 'indefensible' has overseen that bill more than tripling as Mayor of Greater Manchester."
Burnham, who previously served as Shadow Health Secretary, had described NHS spending on management consultants as "indefensible" and claimed private firms were having "a field day" under the Tories.
Taxpayer concerns
Callum McGoldrick of the TaxPayers Alliance told the Daily Mail: "For a politician who once blasted consultant spending as 'indefensible' waste to then oversee a tripling of the bill on his own watch is a kick in the teeth for local taxpayers. While Mancunians tighten their belts, the Mayor is keeping the gravy train rolling. He must practice what he preaches and halt this consulting bonanza."
Burnham's leadership ambitions
Burnham is reportedly planning to delay his leadership bid until after the election to decide his replacement as Mayor, should he win the Makerfield by-election. The Sun reported that he promised Labour's ruling committee to support the Mayoral race if selected for Makerfield.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to fight on as the by-election approaches, stating: "I'm not going to walk away. I am going to fight to win … I'll be in it to win it."
Other political developments
In other news, Labour minister Liz Kendall defended the public sector equality duty against Tory plans to scrap it, saying it would "turn the clock back" and prevent discrimination. She also stated she would not be swayed by US warnings against a blanket ban on social media for under-16s, emphasizing that nine out of ten parents support such a ban.
The Conservatives, led by Kemi Badenoch, are set to unveil plans to "restore common sense" to public services by scrapping equality red tape, arguing that police, NHS staff, and teachers should focus on their core duties rather than identity politics.
Additionally, a report from the Daily Telegraph revealed that billions of pounds of taxpayer money, including aid payments, ended up with terrorists and criminal gangs, with £28 billion going to organized criminals.
