A Crucial Moment and the Pillars for Success

Last week we set out that restoring confidence and delivering meaningful change will be key for Burnham and Labour’s Future. Recess has now started, and while MPs travel back to their constituencies or to Europe for some sunshine and family time, Andy Burnham’s new Cabinet needs to focus on quick actions to deliver.

They have already put in some key actions that are key:

1. The cut in Business Rates for Pubs, Clubs and Music Venues
2. The cut in VAT for Electricity Bills
3. The commitment to end rough sleeping in this Parliament
4. The pause on the early release of prisoners

But we have created a Let’s Go List of what Secretary of State should do, starting now, so people can see and feel the difference a change of Prime Minister has made.

Our Chancellor, John Healey MP, should immediately:

1. Commit to raise the VAT threshold to £250,000
2. Raise the income tax threshold to £15,000
3. Commit to reverse the National Insurance increase over the Parliament
4. Commission a report into the cost of illegal activity at our borders and on our high streets

Our Foreign Secretary, Ed Miliband MP, should immediately:

1. Host a global investment summit to bring investment in the UK
2. Drop the Chagos Islands deal and back British Overseas Territories 100%
3. Commission a report into China and Russia’s relationship and influence within Commonwealth countries

Our Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood MP, should immediately:

1. Commit to recruit an extra 2,500 police officers in this Parliament
2. Announce that government will embrace drones and technology to fight crime
3. Commission a report into new prisons across the UK

Our Business Secretary, Johnathan Reynolds MP, should would with the Chancellor to:

1. Cut Manufacturers’ Corporation Tax to 10%
2. Introduce a super-deduction for capital investment
3. Commission a report into dodgy retailers on our high streets
4. Commit to raise the VAT threshold to £250,000

Our Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner MP, should immediately:

1. Review developers sitting on planning permission without building, and fine them
2. Set up an advisory board to deliver modular homes to slash waiting times
3. Close dodgy vape shops and bring in proper licensing to protect our high streets from crime
4. Appoint one Minister with sole responsibility for delivering Local Government Reorganisation on time for May 2027

Our Education Secretary, Lucy Powell MP, should immediately:

1. Ban Ofsted inspections during SATs week, Christmas and East Week and the last week of term
2. Cap Academy Trust CEO pay and bonuses immediately
3. Train and empower teachers to stop kids vaping in and around schools

Our Health Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, should immediately:

1. Commission a renewable central energy report for the NHS estate to cut energy costs
2. Run product safety spot checks on toys and drug-laced vapes
3. Ban the use of chemical cleaning products immediately, mandating a move to natural products by year end

The Challenge and The Opportunity

The new government led by Andy Burnham has hit the ground running. Communications have improved massively, it feels like a can-do positive Labour Party. We need to maintain that momentum and public support. We can win the next general election, and we can beat the division and populism of Reform and the incompetence of the Greens. But we must continue to implement policies that deliver growth, support business and improve people’s lives.  If we can do that there is no reason why the next decade can’t be a Labour decade in office serving the British people.