Andy Burnham pressed on borrowing costs and spending at first PMQs – UK politics live | Politics
Burnham offers to work with Tories on getting welfare spending down
Kemi Badenoch starts by congratulating the PM “on his stamina – three hours”. (That generates some laughter.) She asks if Burnham can name a single spending request to which he said no.
Burnham says he was clear about the need to get welfare spending down.
It is not right to have so many young people on benefits. He wants to invest in their success.
This is an area where both parties can engage “in problem solving, not point scoring’.
Key events
Kim Leadbeater (Lab) asks what Burnham will do to help people suffering from loneliness, or anti-social behaviour.
Burnham thanks Leadbeater for raising these issues. He raised them in the Makerfield byelection, he says. On antisocial behaviour, he says he accepts the broken windows theory – that small acts of criminality should not be ignored.
Bradley Thomas (Con) asks if Burnham will meet him to discuss a new approach to protecting the green belt.
Burnham says as mayor of Greater Manchester he adopted a brownfield first approach. But there is a balance to be struck, he says. He says the Tories should not turn their back on the need for more homes.
Sorcha Eastwood (Alliance) says the Northern Ireland executive cannot function properly under the rules it has to follow (for cross-community government, giving nationalists and unionists in effect a veto over any decisions). She asks if Burnham will reform the situation.
Burnham says he will address this.
Our first responsibility is to get Stormont government up and running and functioning properly with a budget. I’ve empowered the Northern Ireland secretary to go into talks to, to resolve that issue and the broader issues about reform.
Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker, accepts Burnham is trying to answer questions, but says he is taking too long. At this rate, they won’t get through all the questions, he says,
Burnham says he wants closer relationship with EU – but ducks Lib Dem challenge to back joining single market
Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, says Burnham was right yesterday to blame Brexit for the UK’s lack of growth. The answer to the problem is staring us in the face, he says – join the single market.
Burnham says he is glad Davey accepts his analysis. He says he wants a closer relationship with the EU, building on the work of Keir Starmer. The EU’s “Made in Europe” plan could pose real problems for British steelmakers.
Davey says he hopes Burnham will rejoin the single market.
He says in North Devon a maternity unit has been closed, meaning women have to travel two hours to give birth. They are being taught how to give birth in cars. This is “unthinktable”, he says. Will he commit to reopening the maternity unit within days?
Burnham says he will commit to reopening it – but not within days.
He says there are structural problems with maternity units in the country.
Badenoch says Burnham should cut welfare to fund higher defence spending.
Burnham says the announcement by the German government about the Russian involvement in a drone attack shows the seriousness of the threat. He says the “very reason” John Healey was made chancellor because of his defence record. At the spending review the government will set out a plan to fully fund defence spending rising to 3.5% of GDP by 2035.
Under the Tories the country was not heading in the right direction. Now it is, he says. And he says he has laid out a plan for the country based on his 10-year record in Manchester delivering growth.
Yesterday I laid out a clear, coherent, credible plan for growth based on ten years of delivering it myself. This is grounded in reality. I want to take it to all parts of the country, and it’s all about bringing back a sense of positivity.
Badenoch says Griffith, a junior minister, did not write the budget.
She says Burnham promised new politics, but this is the same old politics of point scorinng, she says.
Burnham says Griffith was not a junior figure.
Under the last government, borrowing was going up, he says.
Badenoch says Burnham is “spendthrift”. She asks if he will rule out tax rises in the budget.
Burnham says he will not announce the budget here. But he says he has shown his instinct is to cut taxes.
And he says that Badenoch and her colleagues were part of a government that lasted 49 days. And at the weekend Badenoch replaced a shadow chancellor who criticised the Liz Truss mini-budget (Mel Stride) with someone who helped to write it (Andrew Griffith).
Given that, “God help us,” he says.
Badenoch turns to Jim O’Neill and his comments about Burnham’s approach to public spending.
Burnham says he worked with O’Neill as mayor of Greater Manchester. They did not always agree, he says. But he says he improved Manchester’s economy.
And he says the UK economy is growing faster than any other in the G7.
Badenoch accuses Burnham of being ‘people pleaser’, not a leader
Badenoch says Burnham is a people pleaser, not a leader. She says she has already offered to work with Labour on welfare.
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.
What has Burnham cut, she asks.
Burnham says there is a simple answer: tax.
He refers to the tax cuts he announced in his first week.
And he says he cancelled the digitial ID programme.
Burnham offers to work with Tories on getting welfare spending down
Kemi Badenoch starts by congratulating the PM “on his stamina – three hours”. (That generates some laughter.) She asks if Burnham can name a single spending request to which he said no.
Burnham says he was clear about the need to get welfare spending down.
It is not right to have so many young people on benefits. He wants to invest in their success.
This is an area where both parties can engage “in problem solving, not point scoring’.
Jo Stevens, the Labour former Welsh secretary, says Cardiff is the only capital in the UK that does not have capital city police funding.
Burnham pays tribute to Stevens for her role standing up for Wales. He understands the point she is making, he says. He says the police funding formula is being reviewed. He says he will engage with Stevens on this.
Ann Davies (Plaid Cymru) asks Burnham to apologise to victims and relatives who have been distressed by the changes to the prisoner early release scheme.
Burnham says he understands the “anguish” of families. He asked for changes, but then went further when he realised victims and families were not satisifed with the original proposals.
He says he wants to be sure “we are never in this position again”.
Andy Burnham starts by saying it was “good to be back at this despatch box” yesterday for the first time in 16 years. He says he broke records, making the longest statement in modern history. It lasted three and a half hours.
Tonight he will join the king and President Macron at the British Museum to celebrate the opening of the Bayeaux Tapestry exhibition, he says.
Burnham faces Badenoch at PMQs
PMQs is starting soon.
Here is the list of MPs down to ask a question.
