UK PM Andy Burnham plans cost-of-living tour to reassure voters

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham will set off on a nationwide tour to hear people’s cost-of-living concerns and unveil a set of measures to give them some “room to breathe”, officials said on Sunday. 

Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer at 10 Downing Street last month, will spend the rest of the parliamentary summer recess month of August, in “listening mode” as he travels around the country. He also plans to use the so-called cost-of-living tour to tell voters about his 10-year plan for the UK. 

“He [Burnham] thinks Westminster has got used to telling people that everyday hassles – like hidden pricing and consumers being ripped off – must be accepted as part of life,” a Downing Street spokesperson said. 

“He doesn’t think that’s right. That’s why he’s going to start rolling out a series of pro-consumer cost of living measures to give people some room to breathe,” the spokesperson said. 

Rising inflation and everyday living costs remain one of the top concerns for the British public as the fallout of the war in West Asia continues to have a knock-on effect around the world. 

“He’s also going to be kicking off his summer tour around the country, getting out of Westminster and meeting people where they are. The Prime Minister is going to be in listening mode to help inform his 10-year plan to bring back hope and make Britain better off,” Downing Street said. 

While an official itinerary of the tour has not been released yet, Tata Steel UK’s Port Talbot plant in south Wales – the UK’s largest steelworks – is expected to be among the stops.

The focus is likely to be on areas where the governing Labour Party has lost electoral support in the last decade and regions hit by declining industries.  

Burnham, former mayor of Greater Manchester, has sought to establish a different approach from his predecessor by launching No. 10 North in his hometown as part of his focal policy of greater devolution of powers to local authorities.

He has also conducted several walkabout sessions to project a more accessible image and win back support from a dejected voter base. 

The Opposition parties have criticised the Labour leader’s latest plans while businesses contend with the Government’s “tax hikes and red tape”. 

“They are forcing businesses to close, destroying jobs and driving up prices for the public,” said Mel Stride, the Conservative Party’s shadow chancellor. 

Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper said struggling businesses “need more than a new PM embarking on a vanity tour this summer”.