Andy Burnham prioritises public control over essential services
Andy Burnham will call for greater public control over water, energy and transport in his House of Commons debut as prime minister, reports BritPanorama.
In his first appearance at the despatch box in 16 years, Mr Burnham intends to argue that stronger public control can drive economic growth. He will assert that essential services have not been managed in the public interest, leading to issues of reliability and affordability which hinder British households and the broader economy.
The Guardian, which first reported details of the Commons statement, indicated that Mr Burnham aims to make public oversight of critical services a core priority for the government in the coming months.
“Andy is optimistic about our country’s future,” a No 10 source noted. “He has a clear plan for how we turn things round. He is determined we make this the moment we bring back hope.”
The statement will provide MPs with an opportunity to question the prime minister regarding the array of policies he announced during the summer. These include proposals designed to help families and businesses manage rising living costs, such as a VAT cut on energy bills set to take effect in October, alongside reductions in business rates for clubs and pubs.
Mr Burnham is expected to face a two-hour grilling from MPs on Tuesday and will undergo further scrutiny in Wednesday’s session of Prime Minister’s Questions against Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch.
Ahead of Parliament’s return, Mrs Badenoch reshuffled her shadow cabinet on Bank Holiday Monday, dismissing prominent figures including Sir Mel Stride and Dame Priti Patel.
Accompanied by a revamped senior opposition team, Mr Burnham now confronts multiple political challenges as MPs gather in Westminster for the autumn session. This includes decisions about potentially nationalising struggling utilities like Thames Water, and the future of major fossil fuel operations in the North Sea, specifically the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.
Additionally, there are impending decisions regarding a flagship bill aimed at tightening immigration laws and proposals for amendments to electoral legislation.
Mr Burnham is also likely to encounter difficult inquiries regarding the £4.7 billion funding gap in the defense investment plan that his predecessor Sir Keir Starmer left behind.
Chancellor John Healey has committed to ensuring defense remains a priority in his Treasury plans, following last week’s inability to guarantee a 2030 timeline for the UK to achieve a target of spending 3% of its economy on defense.
Mr Healey’s resignation as Sir Keir’s defense secretary over a funding dispute was a turning point leading to the former prime minister’s resignation earlier this year. He remarked to The Times: “For the first time at the spending review, we will set out a clear path about how we meet that NATO commitment in 2035, of 2.5% of GDP.”
The Chancellor added, “And as part of setting out that clear path, we will set that target date for 3%.”
On another note, Mr Burnham’s justice secretary Alex Norris will outline plans for an early release scheme to alleviate prison overcrowding in the Commons on Tuesday. This announcement comes after Mr Burnham decided that the killers of Thames Valley Police officer Andrew Harper would not qualify for the scheme, following public outcry.
Initially, Mr Burnham had resisted pressure to impose stricter limits after it became evident that Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, convicted of Harper’s manslaughter in 2020, would be eligible for early release from next year.
In response to prison capacity issues, the government also plans to invest £110 million in constructing new prison places, deporting foreign prisoners, and releasing inmates serving indefinite sentences under imprisonment for public protection orders.
