Andy Burnham is due to announce a series of measures aimed at easing pressures on people struggling with the cost of living in the coming days, Downing Street said.

The prime minister’s programme is intended to “give people some room to breathe”, No 10 said, as he begins a summer tour of the UK focused on both cost-of-living support and improvements to high streets.

Cost of living measures

Downing Street said Burnham will roll out “pro-consumer cost of living measures” designed to tackle everyday problems such as hidden pricing and what the government describes as consumers being ripped off.

A spokesman said Burnham believes people have not been helped by years of messaging that suggests day-to-day difficulties must be accepted as part of life. He said the plans will seek to provide practical relief as the government prepares its wider agenda.

High streets and regional tour

Burnham is also set to concentrate on “improving high streets” while meeting people across the UK’s nations and regions. No 10 said he has been in “listening mode” during the tour to help inform a “10-year plan to bring back hope” and make Britain “better off”.

Although Burnham has been on holiday this week, the spokesman said he will use the tour to gather views on local concerns and priorities.

Pressure over early release scheme

As the government prepares for the cost-of-living announcement, Burnham is likely to face continued scrutiny over a prison early release scheme in England and Wales, which is set to begin in October.

Criticism has focused on the fact that two of the killers of PC Andrew Harper are due to be eligible for release under the scheme from next year. Burnham ordered a review soon after taking office that narrowed the range of people who would qualify, but those convicted of manslaughter will still be eligible, including in the Harper case.

PC Harper’s family, former senior police officers and opposition politicians have called for the individuals to be denied early release. Burnham has said he cannot go further without risking prison capacity, a position No 10 said remained unchanged on Saturday night despite reports that he could revisit the decision.

The scheme has been in place for England and Wales since late 2023 under the previous Conservative government. However, the Ministry of Justice has warned that the prison population could exceed capacity as soon as November.

No 10 said recent figures for England and Wales, recorded on 23 August, showed the prison population at 86,495—more than 97% of usable capacity.

Opposition reaction

The Conservatives said the government’s approach to cost of living was harming high streets, arguing that “tax hikes and red tape are hammering our high streets”.

Shadow chancellor Mel Stride said Labour was planning to release “dangerous criminals” onto streets while also driving up prices for the public through its economic policies.

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokeswoman Daisy Cooper said businesses on high streets needed more than what she described as a “vanity tour”, and argued that the prime minister should adopt Lib Dem proposals. These include reversing what she described as a jobs tax, delivering an emergency VAT cut for hospitality, replacing business rates and tackling “ghost landlords”.

Reform UK economic spokesman Robert Jenrick said that if Burnham wants to help with the cost of living, he should scrap green levies and taxes on energy bills and rule out tax rises at the Budget.

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10 August 2026

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This guy is an empty suit.

Needed a coup to get the job because he couldn't win a leadership contest in 2 attempts.

Now he's doing silly vanity tours to pretend he is legitimate. With vague promises about helping people, but no plan of how to do it.

I wonder if he is taking the convicted Fraudster and de-facto deputy leader Louise Haigh with him? She could give him some tips on how to con the public, because at this point nobody is taking him seriously.

Is a tour required? Looks more like a series of rallies.

Again, he focuses on issues which are more the remit of local councils.

You want to bring down the cost of living in the UK? It's accommodation. House prices leading to high mortgages and rents take up huge chunks of people's income. The answer is build affordable homes.

Grievance Messaging: “The Labour Government are not listening to the concerns of voters”

Labour PM goes on tour to hear the concerns of voters.

Revised Grievance Messaging: “Moan aboubtge Labour PM listening to the concerns of voters “ + Add in any other random stuff you can think of.

Edited August 10Aug 10 by Chomper Higgot

Just don't ask Andy' any awkward questions, or and question that starts with, How are you going to, this is tax finding mission to level the poor and the pensioners once and for all🤔

33 minutes ago, sammieuk1 said:

Just don't ask Andy' any awkward questions, or and question that starts with, How are you going to, this is tax finding mission to level the poor and the pensioners once and for all🤔

HMRC already has all the information it needs on people’s income and taxes.

Maybe you don’t like PM Burnham listening to voters.

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

This guy is an empty suit.

Needed a coup to get the job because he couldn't win a leadership contest in 2 attempts.

Now he's doing silly vanity tours to pretend he is legitimate. With vague promises about helping people, but no plan of how to do it.

I wonder if he is taking the convicted Fraudster and de-facto deputy leader Louise Haigh with him? She could give him some tips on how to con the public, because at this point nobody is taking him seriously.

Rubbish man. Andy gives hope to UK which never forget post Brexit etc & 14 Tory yrs including Boris Bonkers highest Covid dead in W Europe & econ decay under Truss etc & highest regional inequality in W. Europe.

Keir lost 80% of voters by May & Lab Party elected Andy as new leader. His time in 3 winning New Lab govts 3 times winning mayor of Greater Manchester, big winner in By election shows his compelling skills & public confidence. That city highest business growth in UK as said by global FT & Bloomberg.

We need hope. Give him a chance. Too many old men look on gloomy side.

PS the highest Thai baht to £ for over 10yrs!!! as world markets see an Adult in charge.

10 minutes ago, peter48 said:

Rubbish man. Andy gives hope to UK which never forget post Brexit etc & 14 Tory yrs including Boris Bonkers highest Covid dead in W Europe & econ decay under Truss etc & highest regional inequality in W. Europe.

Keir lost 80% of voters by May & Lab Party elected Andy as new leader. His time in 3 winning New Lab govts 3 times winning mayor of Greater Manchester, big winner in By election shows his compelling skills & public confidence. That city highest business growth in UK as said by global FT & Bloomberg.

We need hope. Give him a chance. Too many old men look on gloomy side.

PS the highest Thai baht to £ for over 10yrs!!! as world markets see an Adult in charge.

He "won" a seat that was a Labour stronghold for 120 years.

Even Burnham couldn't lose that. 😄

Especially when his victory meant the loathed despot Starmer would be ousted in a coup. Even right wing voters would vote for that tyrant being removed.

I'm just not sure what somebody like Burnham nor Trump can do about the cost of living at this stage of the game. Successive administrations have allowed prices to climb to a ridiculous degree, and certainly part of that falls on the shoulders of the government in regard to deregulation, in the case of America allowing hedge funds to purchase thousands upon thousands of homes, and letting corporations run amok.

Europe, the US and Australia are pretty much a lost cause at this point, and the rapid decline is just going to continue rather precipitously.

If I were a gambler I would wager on Asia as the future epicenter of planet earth.

7 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

If I were a gambler I would wager on Asia as the future epicenter of planet earth.

As long as they can keep woke, left wing ideology far away in the West, I agree with you.

I believe they will. Asians are smart people. They will see how the West has destroyed itself with Liberalism and want nothing to do with it.

34 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

As long as they can keep woke, left wing ideology far away in the West, I agree with you.

I believe they will. Asians are smart people. They will see how the West has destroyed itself with Liberalism and want nothing to do with it.

Well there are several sides of the woke issue. One of them is related to women and femininity. I believe that PC, me too, and woke have come to Thailand and for the most part Thai women have rejected it completely. They are smart enough, and intuitive enough to understand that most of their power comes from their femininity and their ability to wield it with skill and confidence, something that Western women completely lack. I think they said to themselves why would I want to give that up? Thai women are much more in touch with their femininity and they're not afraid to manifest the dignity within it, unlike their weaker Western counterparts.

INSANITY: The average British worker works 40 hours a week, year after year, watching taxes climb while the cost of living crushes them and still barely make ends meet.

Meanwhile, the government is spending your money like this. Aid across the world:
• World Health Organisation: £310M
• Ukraine: £237M
• Ethiopia: £217M
• Afghanistan: £171M
• Syria: £146M
• Yemen: £144M
• Somalia: £143M
• Sudan: £140M
• South Sudan: £134M
• Palestine: £129M
• Nigeria: £117M
• Congo (DRC): £107M
• Pakistan: £99M
• Overseas Territories: £98M
• Kenya: £79M
• Jordan: £68M
• Myanmar: £65M
• Bangladesh: £61M
• Nepal: £60M
• Lebanon: £56M
• Tanzania: £56M
• Malawi: £50M
• Mozambique: £49M
• Uganda: £46M
• Indonesia: £45M
• Zambia: £42M
• Rwanda: £31M
• Zimbabwe: £31M
• Sierra Leone: £30M
• Turkey: £19M
• Ghana and Liberia: £16M
• South Africa: £14M
• Eastern Neighbourhood: £14M
• Central Asia: £13M
• Western Balkans: £13M
Illegal immigration: Housing and benefits: £5/6billion
Translation fees: £150M
Foreign criminals in British prisons: £600M
NET STUPID ZERO 6.7 BILLION.

Just in this list alone it exceeds: £15.5 BILLION!!!

YET, there’s no money to fix pot holes, the NHS, police on the streets, schools falling apart, social care for the elderly, housing the homeless, or support for veterans... amongst other things, Absolutely disgraceful.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Well there are several sides of the woke issue. One of them is related to women and femininity. I believe that PC, me too, and woke have come to Thailand and for the most part Thai women have rejected it completely. They are smart enough, and intuitive enough to understand that most of their power comes from their femininity and their ability to wield it with skill and confidence, something that Western women completely lack. I think they said to themselves why would I want to give that up? Thai women are much more in touch with their femininity and they're not afraid to manifest the dignity within it, unlike their weaker Western counterparts.

You can't have woke women without welfare.

It's as easy as that!

On 8/10/2026 at 3:45 AM, Chomper Higgot said:

Grievance Messaging: “The Labour Government are not listening to the concerns of voters”

Labour PM goes on tour to hear the concerns of voters.

Revised Grievance Messaging: “Moan aboubtge Labour PM listening to the concerns of voters “ + Add in any other random stuff you can think of.

Newly installed PM Andy Burnham says he has begun a month long "listening tour" of Britain. First stop, he is questioned about the open invasion of the country. Literally doesn't listen.

Starmer was always on the run, abroad, Labour are truly useless

I doubt if his planned massive tax rises will help ease the cost of living

Breaking news from a cliff edge. Just call me chuffing.

… Captain Casual is on a ‘listening tour’ of the UK.. as long as you only say things he wants to hear

20 minutes ago, FinChin67 said:

Breaking news from a cliff edge. Just call me chuffing.

… Captain Casual is on a ‘listening tour’ of the UK.. as long as you only say things he wants to hear

Who honestly gives any credence to the opinion of that vile racist unpleasant human being. She's an oxygen thief.

2 hours ago, FinChin67 said:

Breaking news from a cliff edge. Just call me chuffing.

… Captain Casual is on a ‘listening tour’ of the UK.. as long as you only say things he wants to hear

Ah yes, the champion of free speech, Katie Hopkins. The very same Katie Hopkins who wallows in self-pity when others point the finger at her.

If anyone needs reminding what a vile human being she is, just look at the section entitled, 'Views and statements' here. No wonder even GB News disown her

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katie_Hopkins

This is the prank that so hurt the feelings of Ms. Hopkins

UK residents who are in Thailand and UK tax payers should compare if their dental plans match these what illegals have in UK:

Rupert Lowe MP:

In July, the British Dental Association condemned comments I made on Joe Rogan stating that illegal migrants receive priority access to NHS dental treatment - they demanded I apologise.

I told them where to go at the time, but we have since been doing some digging... It turns out I was entirely right.

Illegals ARE getting priority dental care, and actually? It’s so much worse than we released... Here’s the evidence.

Restore Britain’s investigations unit has obtained NHS documents marked ‘Official-Sensitive’ which discuss the level of dental care that needs to be provided in Immigration Removal Centres (IRC).

Let’s go through it… ‘To enable a positive experience of dental services, dental services will be patient centred, and patients should be given the opportunity to play an active role in shaping and assessing the service.’ Right. These are illegal migrants, remember. This is a real sentence in the document… ‘Ensure the service recognises the inequalities faced by the detained individuals and proactively aims to reduce the inequalities therein’ Total and utter bull<deleted>. Moving on… ‘The service will provide detained individuals within the IRC with high quality dental care, prioritised according to dental need’ High quality dental care. It gets worse… ‘all detained individuals are provided with comprehensive information on how to access dental services, the treatment they are entitled to and how to initiate an appointment. This information should be available in multiple languages and include formats to support neurodiverse patients.’ Foreign language translation for dental care for illegal migrants.

Utterly ludicrous. Up next… ‘detained individuals requiring urgent care for dental pain and minor trauma have access to a dentist within 48 hours’ 48 hours. For dental pain. Far better than what millions and millions of Brits get. ‘The core service will operate 365 days a year.’ Obviously... It ‘may include utilisation of a hygienist and/or dental therapist.’ Very nice... ‘If an individual is released from the IRC back to a community in England’ they are provided with support.

So once the illegals are let back into the community, they still get help. It is INSANE. They have quality performance indicators to meet, including the percentage of those happy with the care and the waiting time. Patient satisfaction for the illegals is incredibly important, obviously. A Restore Britain Government will scrap all of it. No more. They arrived without a toothbrush, we are not going to provide one. They will be deported. Not some of them. Not most of them. All of them. Gone, and never allowed back. I am calling on the British Dental Association to apologise for their inaccurate remarks, and release all and any information they hold on treatment provided to illegal migrants. More FOIs and investigations are already underway, and we will continue digging for the truth. I will promise you one thing. Restore Britain will end the piss take.

6 minutes ago, FinChin67 said:

illegal migrants receive priority access to NHS dental treatment

That's if they can find a NHS dentist 🦄