GB News was halted to bring a huge new update from new Prime Minister Andy Burnham. The news channel shared that the leading Labour politician is set to cap most single bus fares in England at two pounds from January 1, 2027, to tackle the cost of living – however, critics have said that the optimistic plans could be “problematic”.
The reduction will see the cap slashed by a third from the current £3. As the breaking news banner flashed across the screen, commentator Duncan Barkes was on the show to share his thoughts on the matter. “So what we are seeing here is this element of ‘vibes politics’ which is like ‘hey, I’m going to make something great – here’s some sweets, here’s some treats’,” he said.
“But where is the detail? It is problematic. At some point, the bond markets will go ‘you’re promising us a hell of a lot of stuff here – how are you going to pay for it? You’re not showing fiscal prudence.'”
Some fans agreed that it was a poor plan, with one sarcastically commenting on X/Twitter: “Oh wow. How impressive. The UK is saved. So we ‘changed’ prime ministers for this scam?”
Another said: “Reform UK says relief comes from cutting fuel duty, not token bus caps. Farage’s plan lowers living costs.”
Someone else added: “Bit interesting timing this. Be good to see where the money’s coming from and if it’s actually gonna last.”
The new PM said no one should be “priced out” or “left behind” when it comes to affordable transport links after announcing bus fares in England will be capped at £2.
“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,” Mr Burnham said in a statement.
He added: “Lower fares will help people get to where they need to – giving them breathing space to help with the cost of living.”
The measure is backed by £454million of funding, including money to enable devolved governments to take similar action. £400million will come from switching investment in international climate finance to loans, the Government has said.
The rest will come from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero budget. The total cost of the scheme is expected to exceed £500million, with the remainder coming from Department for Transport funding already allocated to buses.
