‘Andy Time’: Why Burnham’s budget isn’t going to deliver a revolution
Britain’s prime minister has promised to rewire its creaking state — and he doesn’t have long to do it.
In London, Prime Minister Andy Burnham arrived a few minutes late to a meeting with regional mayors on Thursday, where his ally Angela Rayner jokingly referred to his tardiness as "Andy Time." The rest of Britain is now experiencing a similar sense of delay. Burnham entered 10 Downing Street three months ago with promises of a "new economic model," but his first budget next Wednesday is likely to keep voters waiting for those changes.
Finance Minister John Healey is expected to announce reductions in business regulation, steps to move power away from Whitehall, and targeted help for those struggling with rising energy bills due to the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine. However, Healey is not expected to make significant overhauls to tax systems that many in Burnham's center-left Labour Party have criticized as unfair.
These include business rates, capital gains tax, and council tax, all of which are based on outdated valuations. Healey's team is positioning the budget as a series of smaller changes rather than a complete overhaul, focusing on thinning bureaucracy and supporting entrepreneurs. This approach comes as the war in the Middle East and Russia's actions in Ukraine continue to complicate matters.
The opposition Conservative Party is set to criticize the budget as a "deferral budget," accusing the administration of preferring grand visions over decisive action. However, a Labour official warns that a cautious approach could lose the goodwill Burnham has gained with the public since taking office just 100 days ago. The budget is expected to focus on energy assistance and building a more resilient infrastructure network, as well as a fiscal devolution roadmap for regional mayors.
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