Burnham faces first PMQs with promise of tax cuts and defence commitment

First PMQs for Burnham

Andy Burnham faced Prime Minister's Questions for the first time since becoming Prime Minister, as reported by both the Evening Chronicle and the Daily Mirror. The session followed his opening speech to Parliament, during which he answered 125 questions from MPs over more than three hours, according to both outlets.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch opened by congratulating Burnham on his "stamina," as reported by the Evening Chronicle. She quickly turned to scrutiny, asking whether there was a "single spending request" to which Burnham had said no during his speech. Badenoch remarked: "He did not say no to a single spending request, and personally, I think it's delightful that he wants to make everyone happy, but a Prime Minister needs to be a leader, not a people-pleaser."

Burnham responded by pointing to tax cuts already announced. "In terms of 'what has he ', tax is the simple answer to that question," he said, citing plans to remove VAT from electricity bills and cut business rates for pubs, social clubs, and live music venues.

Spending and tax questions

Badenoch pressed Burnham on whether he was preparing to raise taxes, asking directly: "Is he preparing to raise taxes again? Yes or no?" Burnham declined to set out Budget details, deferring to Chancellor John Healey, and said an early date for the Budget had been set to reduce speculation, as reported by the Evening Chronicle.

Burnham also said he was committed to bringing down the welfare bill, according to the same report. Badenoch urged him to "cut welfare spending and invest that money in our defence," a suggestion Burnham addressed by noting Healey's appointment as Chancellor was due to his commitment to defence spending. Healey, the former defence secretary under Sir Keir Starmer, resigned in June over funding shortfalls, the Evening Chronicle reported.

Burnham pledged: "We will fully fund the defence investment plan and, at the spending review, we will set out a plan to meet our NATO commitment by 2035."

A new tone and a by-election backdrop

The Daily Mirror reported that Burnham sought a more collegiate tone with Badenoch, saying he wanted to ditch political point scoring. The paper noted the contrast with Nigel Farage, who was back in Parliament after spending the summer arguing with a man dressed as a bin.

The session covered a wide range of topics, including Ukraine, defence, taxes, welfare, hospitality, social care, and the Jodrell Bank telescope, according to the Daily Mirror. The paper also noted there was no repeat of the "doom and gloom" warnings that marked the early months of Keir Starmer's premiership.

Starmer's resignation as an MP, triggered by his ousting as Prime Minister, has formalised a by-election in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency, as reported by both outlets. The Daily Mirror added that Starmer's majority there was reduced to 11,572 in 2024, and that Zack Polanski may contest the seat.