Andy Burnham limbered up with a run today as he finally faces a grilling from MPs – six weeks after becoming PM.
Mr Burnham worked up a sweat as he prepares to make his Commons debut following the summer recess.
The premier could be in for a torrid time this afternoon, with anger mounting over the prisoner early release scheme and the prospect of tax hikes to fund more spending during next month’s Budget.
Ministers warned there were ‘difficult’ decisions in the Budget as Government borrowing costs spiked again this morning – on top of the global markets being spooked by the Middle East crisis, surging inflation and warnings about an AI crash.
As Mr Burnham took over from Keir Starmer just as Parliament went into its break, he has benefited from a ‘soft launch’ with the public’s focus largely on the sunshine instead of politics.
Labour has been enjoying a bounce in the polls with the new leader. However that looks to be fading and the former Greater Manchester mayor has already been forced into a bewildering variety of policy shifts.
Andy Burnham will make his debut in the Commons as it returns from the summer recess
Mr Burnham geared up for the Commons clashes with a run this morning
Underlining the issues confronting ministers, Government borrowing costs spiked again this morning. The chart shows the interest rates on ten-year gilts
The PM will gather his Cabinet this morning before making a statement to the House after 3.30pm today.
As well as being his first since entering No10, it will be his first appearance at the despatch box since he was a minister 16 years ago.
Aides say Mr Burnham will flesh out his vision for the country, but not make significant policy announcements.
He is expected to argue that stronger public control over utilities can be an engine for economic growth.
However, that could cost billions of pounds, and in an interview today Chancellor John Healey admitted there are already ‘difficult’ decisions looming in the Budget.
A No10 source said: ‘Andy is optimistic about our country’s future. He has a clear plan for how we turn things round. He is determined we make this the moment we bring back hope.’
The session will see Mr Burnham clash directly with Kemi Badenoch for the first time, who used the Bank Holiday to reshuffle her shadow cabinet ready for an early election – axeing Tory big beasts including Sir Mel Stride and Dame Priti Patel.
MPs are poised to probe the PM on the slew of policies he announced over the summer – which critics say were unfunded.
That includes the cut to VAT on energy bills which comes into force next month, and slashing business rates for pubs and clubs.
Mr Burnham must explain how he will fill a £4.7billion funding gap in the defence investment plan, left to him by predecessor Sir Keir.
This morning the yield on ten-year guilts – a benchmark for what the Treasury pays to borrow money – climbed to an 18-year high of 5.21 per cent after an international market sell-off. The rise was the steepest since May and increases the pressure on Mr Healey ahead of his first Budget.
Mr Healey conceded last week the Budget will not set a timetable for spending 3 per cent of GDP on defence, instead that schedule will be laid out at the spending review next year – even though Mr Healey quit Sir Keir’s government in protest at the lack of a firm commitment.
Mr Healey told The Times he was still determined to scale up spending on defence.
‘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 per cent of GDP,’ he said. ‘And as part of setting out that clear path, we will set that target date for 3 per cent.’
Mr Burnham could also be quizzed on his commitment to bring Thames Water under public ownership, and whether drilling will be allowed at the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields in the North Sea.
Crunch decisions on a flagship Bill to tighten immigration law, and calls for MPs to change electoral law are also on the horizon.
In an interview today Chancellor John Healey (pictured with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at the G20 summit yesterday) admitted there are already ‘difficult’ decisions looming in the Budget
The session this afternoon will see Mr Burnham clash directly with Kemi Badenoch (pictured) for the first time
After Mr Burnham’s statement, Justice Secretary Alex Norris will give the Commons details of the plans for the early release scheme review to relieve prison overcrowding.
Over the weekend the PM said the killers of Thames Valley Police officer Andrew Harper will not be eligible for the scheme following a widespread backlash.
Mr Burnham initially resisted calls to limit the scheme further after it emerged that Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole, who were convicted of PC Harper’s manslaughter in 2020, would be eligible from next year.
Ministers also plan to create capacity in prisons by building hundreds of new places with a £110million investment, by deporting foreign prisoners and releasing inmates who are serving indefinite sentences under imprisonment for public protection sentences (IPPs).
