Prime Minister Andy Burnham is set to kick off a summer tour of the country this week, asking voters directly: "What would actually make your life better?" The new PM, returning from a short holiday abroad, will spend the rest of August visiting every nation and region across Britain.
Listening to communities
In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, Mr Burnham said: "This month I'm out of Westminster and into your town. Not for the photographs, but because I want to hear directly from people in their communities. I'll be asking one question: what would actually make your life better?"
He acknowledged the challenges facing many: "We know a lot of the issues. People have been saying it for years and no one listened. Bills that land like a threat. A high street of shuttered units and rip-off prices."
Announcing new measures
Mr Burnham outlined upcoming actions: "So here's what's coming. A third off bus fares. VAT off your electricity bill. Action next week on misleading discounts and pricing tricks. We're putting money back in people's pockets and giving communities the power they need to thrive. Good growth in every postcode. Hope in every heart."
The tour will include a visit to Port Talbot, south Wales, an area reeling from over 2,000 job losses after the closure of a final blast furnace. Reports suggest he may also head to areas where Labour has lost support, including those that voted Reform in 2024. No10 confirmed he will sit down with families, shop owners, and workers during the tour.
Informing the 10-year plan
The visits will inform his new 10-year plan for the country, promised in his first speech as PM, laying out a "path from where we are now to where I believe we all want Britain to be" later in 2026.
This follows a policy blitz in his first week, including removing VAT on electricity bills from October 1, estimated to cost £850 million and knock £45 off the average bill. He also reintroduced the £2 bus fare cap, which applies to around 5,000 routes across England and was planned to last until March 2027.
Political context
The tour comes amid a "Burnham bounce" in polls, closing the gap on Reform UK. Elections expert Professor Sir John Curtice told the BBC that Labour's comfortable victory in the Greater Manchester mayoral by-election confirmed the trend. He noted that recent polls put Labour in the mid-20s, the highest since early last year, but added that with Reform polling narrowly behind, Labour still has a long way to go before facing a general election with confidence.
