Andy Burnham has confirmed his plans regarding VAT, income tax, and National Insurance should he become Prime Minister. The newly elected Labour MP for Makerfield is widely expected to succeed Sir Keir Starmer, who may resign as early as Monday.
Burnham's tax pledges
Burnham has committed to Labour's campaign promises not to increase income tax, National Insurance, or VAT. During the byelection campaign, he went further, stating he would consider reducing some employers' National Insurance contributions. This leaves him with limited options to raise revenue elsewhere.
After his victory in Makerfield on Thursday night, Burnham said: "People here have voted for change, they have voted for more power for the north and everywhere forgotten by Westminster. Now let’s give that back to them."
Political reactions
Alex Burghart, the shadow Cabinet Office minister, argued on the Today programme that a change in prime minister would not alter the government's problems, which stem from Labour MPs' views. He stated: "Constitutionally there doesn’t have to be a general election, you can change prime ministers. What matters is whether the prime minister has the support of MPs in parliament. But I have to say that there, it’s not just Keir Starmer’s legitimacy that is being called into question, it’s Labour’s. You can change the person at the top, but if the MPs underneath still think and vote the same way, then nothing will change."
Education minister Jacqui Smith commented on Monday morning amid speculation over Starmer's future: "My understanding from those I’ve spoken to who are close to the prime minister yesterday is that the prime minister has spent the weekend thinking really carefully about the future of the country, about what’s the best thing to do for the British people. He’s also, by the way, been of course engaged in government, responding to the terrible train crash, talking to the chief executive of the East Midlands ambulance service, responding to the attack in Edinburgh. But he always thinks carefully about the future of this country and the interests of the British people – he puts them, by the way, ahead of the interests of the party – and he will make his own decisions in the light of what obviously everybody can see is a considerable amount of pressure and turbulence."
