I feel, even though I’m a LP supporter, quite irritated already with Andy Burnham.
Quite honestly, even for the poorest, £45 (on average) reduction in an entire year (offset by cap rises plus the fact that this isn’t necessarily going to last for an entire year) and re-capping bus fares at £2 per journey, is this really what people want and does it truly make a “cost of living” difference.
Why, oh why, couldn’t he have simply increased the tax threshold and benefitted all low paid workers and pensioners?
We all know personal income tax will need to rise. Why not bite the bullet and just raise the threshold, then tax income tax at a higher rate?
I know he’s said he’ll look again at tax thresholds later, but it was said in such a way that I feel it simply won’t be unfrozen.
He faces all the same problems as Starmer, yet the two years work Starmer has done to try and stabilise things like the economy will simply become part of Burham’s legacy.
Maybe I need an early night and a nice glass of something? 🍷🥃🍸🍹
