Andy Burnham came under fire on Wednesday’s instalment of GB News as the show issued a breaking news bulletin about an increase to the amount British taxpayers are paying in income tax. Appearing on the programme, Benjamin Elks, grassroots development manager for The TaxPayers’ Alliance, revealed his disappointment in the new prime minister.
Speaking to presenter Martin Daubney, Elks explained that after analysing HMRC data with his team, they had discovered “that this year, we can expect to see a million more people paying income tax, compared to the last year”. Declaring that the average taxpayer is set to pay £640 more in income tax than just two years ago, Elks noted that this “is having a real impact on people at the worst possible time”.
“It’s really disappointing, actually, for Andy Burnham to bring this up and to row back so quickly on it. He himself cited that this was the thing that was brought up most often on the doorsteps in Makerfield, so he knows that this is an issue for people,” Elks continued.
“As people get their ordinary pay rises, they are pulled into higher and higher tax brackets,” he remarked. “This is a huge amount of money that people are having to give over to the treasury.”
After heading to 10 Downing Street on Monday, Andy Burnham has announced a number of new policies in a bid to tackle the ongoing cost of living crisis. Just days into his administration, the Labour leader has confirmed that VAT will be cut from household energy bills, which could save households around £45 a year. Additionally, he has revealed that single bus fares in England will be capped at £2 from January 1, 2027.
“For too long, people have said that cheaper transport isn’t an option. I don’t accept that. I’ve done it before, and I will do it again now: a £2 cap on bus fares for millions across the country,” Burnham said in a statement.
“Lower fares will help people get to where they need to – giving them breathing space to help with the cost of living.”
