Burnham admits first Budget was not as radical as he wanted

Andy Burnham has admitted that he and his chancellor John Healey were unable to deliver as radical a first Budget as they wanted because of the turbulent situation in the world.

In an interview with ITV to mark his first 100 days as prime minister, Mr Burnham insisted that he wanted to go further but said there were still significant measures in it to make a difference to people’s lives.

He said: “The room for manoeuvre wasn't what I would have hoped it to be. I guess then the question is, you know, radical within what we were able to do, the volatility of things means you just can't necessarily deliver the budget that in an ideal world you would want to deliver."

But he added: “It was quite a big call to ask the banks to repay the help they had off people 20 or so years ago. And a payment, okay, you'd like it to be more, but a payment to 20 million households is quite a significant, significant step.”

The prime minister also again ruled out an early election amid continued speculation that he may trigger it in May next year.

He insisted: “I’ll keep ruling it out.”

He went on: “I've said this pretty directly for a number of weeks now. I'm hoping people might start listening at some point.”

He did admit though that he is hemmed in by the 2024 election manifesto but still claimed he wants to be “ambitious” with the plans for a free national care service.

But with the 2024 manifesto preventing him from raising income tax, VAT or personal national insurance contributions as well as ruling out rejoining the EU, single market or customs union, he said: “If you're asking me a very direct question, if I had held the pen on the current Labour manifesto, would I have written it exactly like it is? Well, no. Is the answer to that question.”

The prime minister also ducked questions over how he would try to cut the ballooning welfare bill.

“I come at it a different way. I want to talk about: how many people am I going to help into work? If you go at it with a number like you've just said, I think, you know, this is exactly what I was saying before about politics done the wrong way and the changes I'm trying to bring.”

Asked if he has spoken to to Sir Keir Starmer over the 100 days since he replaced him as Labour leader and prime minister, he said the pair had exchanged messages.

He said: "We've exchanged messages and we've always had a good working relationship. We obviously had differences at times for certain. But, yeah, I do keep in touch with people... I sent a message to [former chancellor Rachel Reeves] in the last few days with the Budget process that we've been going through."