Uchumi · bus fares, energy bills · KumbukumbuAndy Burnham's first moves: £2 bus fares, energy bill overhaul on table as IMF warns on war falloutImeandikwa 7 Septemba 2026, 21:22 UTCTazamaNakala ya maneno0:00Andy Burnham walked into number 10 this0:02morning as the seventh Prime Minister in0:04a decade, succeeding Keir Starmer after0:06an unopposed leadership race. His first0:09speech from the Downing Street podium0:11promised what he called breathing room0:12on the cost of living and a mission to0:14rewire Britain. The question now is what0:16that means for households already0:18squeezed by a July 1 energy price cap0:20hike that pushed millions into fuel0:22poverty. Burnham, the former mayor of0:24Greater Manchester, inherits the job at0:26a precarious moment. His very first act0:29was to scrap Starmer's national digital0:31ID scheme, freeing up roughly 6000:33million pounds to redirect toward cost0:35of living priorities, but that decision0:37alone does not put money in people's0:38pockets. It is the next steps that0:40matter. Among the policies on the table,0:42a £2 national bus fare cap, though the0:44current cap remains £3 until legislation0:47passes. Energy bill reforms are under0:49active consideration, along with a0:51possible rise to the frozen personal tax0:53allowance, something Burnham says he0:55heard most about on the doorsteps during0:56the by-election. On energy, two0:58proposals are under active1:00consideration. The Nesta model would1:02reform the gas standing charge to save1:04about 130 pounds per household per year.1:07The Joseph Rowntree Foundation's1:08affordable energy guarantee goes1:10further, saving middle-income households1:12roughly 225 pounds annually and the1:15poorest around 270. The cost, 3 to 71:18billion pounds. But the fiscal1:20arithmetic is brutal. Burnham inherits a1:23133 billion pound deficit with limited1:25room for spending after manifesto1:27commitments ruled out major tax1:28increases. The IMF upgraded UK GDP1:31growth to 1% for 2026 earlier this1:34month, but its economists warned that1:35fallout from the Iran war, commodity1:37prices, volatility, supply shortages has1:40yet to be felt. Opposition leader Kemi1:42Badenoch warns Burnham lacks a clear1:44plan and urges no new tax rises, while1:47Reform UK is demanding an immediate1:49general election. Meanwhile, the Prime1:51Minister is also weighing an expansion1:53of North Sea oil and gas drilling, a1:55move that would break Labour's 20241:57manifesto pledge not to issue new1:59licenses. Burnham has called this period2:01the first 100 days of breathing room.2:03But between a ballooning deficit, an IMF2:06warning on war fallout, and a crowded2:08field of competing priorities, bus2:09fares, energy bills, tax thresholds,2:12drilling licenses, the breathing room2:14may be the scarcest resource of all.Soma makalaMfuatano wa matukio ya habariHeyDexVideo fupi ↗
