Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said easing the pressure on household finances is his “number one priority”, promising further action to make everyday life more affordable for working people.
In a statement published on X, Burnham said the cost of living was the issue he heard about more than any other while speaking to people across the country, pointing to the rising cost of the weekly shop, commuting and family days out.
“The thing I hear more than anything when I’m out talking to people is just how expensive everyday life has become,” he said.
“Too many people are doing everything right and still finding there’s not enough left at the end of the month.
“That has to change.”
Burnham said his government would combine major economic decisions aimed at making Britain better off with practical interventions to reduce the everyday costs facing households.
“My number one priority is giving people some room to breathe on the cost of living,” he said. “That means taking the big decisions needed to make Britain better off, but it also means fixing the everyday things that quietly take money out of people’s pockets.”
The Prime Minister highlighted measures already announced by his government, including a £2 cap on bus fares in England and a tax cut on electricity bills.
He also pointed to new consumer protections announced last week designed to prevent people becoming trapped in unwanted subscriptions and a crackdown on misleading discounts.
Burnham made clear that further measures are planned, adding: “And there’s much more to come.”
The Prime Minister is spending part of the summer travelling around the country and meeting communities, saying he wants government policy to be informed by people’s experiences outside Westminster.
“The best ideas don’t all come from Westminster,” Burnham said. “More often than not, they come from the people dealing with these problems every day.”
He added that government should not simply accept pressures which make people’s lives more difficult or expensive.
“We won’t fix everything overnight. But wherever my government can make life a little easier, fairer or more affordable, we will.
“That’s how we give people room to breathe and start bringing back hope.”
