Andy Burnham’s commitment to uphold the UK’s borrowing limits may win the would-be prime minister a reprieve with bond investors, but it raises new questions about whether he would need to raise taxes to fund a more ambitious agenda.
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Send a tip to our reporters Site feedback: Take our Survey New Window By Alex Wickham and Joe Mayes May 19, 2026 at 4:07 PM UTC Andy Burnham’s commitment to uphold the UK’s borrowing limits may win the would-be prime minister a reprieve with bond investors, but it raises new questions about whether he would need to raise taxes to fund a more ambitious agenda.
The Greater Manchester mayor has frequently expressed an openness to consider increasing taxes since emerging as a potential successor to Starmer. In an interview last year, for instance, he said there was “definitely a case” for raising the top rate of income tax to 50% from 45% currently. He separately called for increasing local taxes on expensive homes.
