Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been accused of “breathtaking hypocrisy” as he prepares to present himself as a champion of Britain’s beleaguered high streets on a “summer tour” of the United Kingdom this week. Fresh from his holiday, the new Prime Minister will work to rescue his party from electoral disaster by setting out a vision for how the nation’s high streets can be revived and announcing measures designed to help with the cost of living.
Polling shows public discontent
Stark new Ipsos polling shows that while the “Burnham bounce” is real, there is grave unhappiness with Labour. When he arrived in Downing Street, seven out of 10 people were dissatisfied with how the Labour Government is running the country, and fewer than two in 10 (18%) were satisfied.
Senior opposition MPs said that if the former Greater Manchester Mayor wants to help high streets, he should scrap taxes and cancel plans to release prisoners early. Mr Burnham intends to spend much of August “on the road” before Parliament returns as he prepares a 10-year plan he hopes will win the confidence of the country.
Prime Minister's spokesperson defends tour
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said: “[The] Prime Minister is going to be talking about two issues people really care about – the cost of living and high streets. 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. 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.”
Shadow Chancellor blasts 'hypocrisy'
Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride blasted the PM, saying: “This is breathtaking hypocrisy from Burnham. Labour’s tax hikes and red tape are hammering our high streets. They are forcing businesses to close, destroying jobs and driving up prices for the public. Meanwhile, Labour are plotting to release dangerous criminals onto our streets, leaving people feeling unsafe in their communities.”
Pollsters Ipsos found fewer than three in 10 (29%) of Britons were satisfied with how Mr Burnham is doing his job – the same satisfaction rating given to the Conservatives’ Kemi Badenoch. However, Mr Burnham will be heartened that a smaller share of the public (23%) was satisfied with how Nigel Farage is performing as leader of Reform UK.
Labour leads in voting intentions
Labour MPs will breathe a sigh of relief that more people now say they intend to vote for Labour (28%) than for Reform (25%), the Conservatives (18%), the Greens (12%) or the Liberal Democrats (9%). When people were asked to choose who would make the most capable PM, 36% named Burnham with 15% picking Mr Farage and 13% choosing Mrs Badenoch.
Mr Burnham’s spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister is going to be in listening mode to help inform his 10-year plan to bring back hope and make Britain better off.”
Jenrick urges immediate action
However, Robert Jenrick – whom Mr Farage plans to appoint Chancellor if he becomes prime minister – urged Mr Burnham to take immediate “bold action” to rescue high streets. He said: “If Andy Burnham wants to help people with the cost of living, he should scrap the green levies and taxes on energy bills and rule out tax rises at the Budget. It’s high time the Labour party cut the ballooning benefits bill so we can relieve pressure on the hard working majority that hold our country together. For the high street to survive businesses need fundamental change, not more tinkering. That's why Reform UK has laid out a fully costed plan to scrap Rachel Reeves' jobs tax on British workers, abolish business rates for pubs and hospitality entirely, and raise the VAT threshold to £150,000 so small businesses can keep more of their money, hire more people and make our high streets worth visiting again. We need bold action to get the country back on track now, not a plan for one 10 years down the line.”
Small business concerns
Tina McKenzie of the Federation of Small Businesses said the “key test” will be whether Small Business Rates Relief is unfrozen in the Autumn Budget. She said: “That’s how you revitalise high streets, town centres and local communities.”
Mr Burnham has announced a 20% cut to business rates from April for pubs, social clubs and live music venues. The Tory Shadow Chancellor said: “Burnham claims to value local pubs, but they still face soaring bills despite the £800million tax relief he has announced, which is small change compared the £9billion increase in business rates that firms are facing thanks to his Government. And there is no help on the way for the shops and other retail businesses on which we all rely.”
