Andy Burnham, widely expected to become Britain's next Prime Minister, has ruled out cutting benefit payments, insisting the focus should be on getting more people into work instead. The former Greater Manchester Mayor said he would reject what he described as 'crude' reductions to benefits, arguing there were better ways to bring down welfare spending without pushing vulnerable people further into poverty.
Burnham Rejects 'Crude' Benefit Cuts
Speaking to LBC, Mr Burnham stated: 'I’m not going to go with the crude cuts to benefit levels that then just put people who are struggling in even worse poverty, and that often creates the backlash, and understandably so.' Instead, he proposed a 'different approach' to reduce the welfare bill, including creating more apprenticeships, guaranteeing work placements for 16 to 18-year-olds, improving access to mental health support, and building more council homes to lower housing benefit costs.
Reassurance on Economic Plans
Mr Burnham also sought to reassure businesses and financial markets over his economic plans, saying he would stick to Labour’s manifesto commitments on tax while suggesting there was still 'some room for movement on tax' in areas such as business rates. He has already pledged to reduce business rates for pubs by increasing the burden on warehouses used by major retail firms. He said: 'I am not undisciplined when it comes to the public finances. I was in the Treasury, I ran the Department of Health, and we had a very healthy – it was tight, but we had a very healthy set of finances. I have run Greater Manchester, the fastest growing city region in the country, for a decade, and you can’t make it the fastest growing city region in the country without strong business confidence.'
Number 10 North Located at Manchester Digital Campus
Mr Burnham outlined plans to shift more government decision-making away from Westminster by creating a northern base for Downing Street. He said the proposed 'Number 10 North' would be based at the planned Manchester Digital Campus, close to Manchester Piccadilly station. The £310 million development, which received Treasury approval earlier this year, is expected to accommodate around 8,800 civil servants working across government departments, with a focus on digital services. The site is due to open in 2032.
Mr Burnham said: 'This is about obviously extending the Downing Street operation, creating a North Pole, if you like, so that the country can see that the power is more balanced. Number 10 North will act in the interests of everywhere though.' Asked where it would be based, he added: 'There is already a proposal for a government digital campus close to Manchester Piccadilly, so it is my intention, if I get the opportunity, is to base it there. I will spend time there, because I think it’s really important to show a new drive around taking power out of Westminster. Why? To get growth in every postcode around the country.'
Cabinet Office Minister Anna Turley previously said: 'We are turning disused land into a digital centre for government, boosting local growth and supporting regeneration of Manchester’s vibrant city centre.'
