Exclusive: Andy Burnham To Slash Business Rates For Hospitality Sector

Andy Burnham will announce plans to slash business rates for the hospitality sector by 20% within days, HuffPost UK can reveal.

The new prime minister has already announced that VAT is to be removed from electricity bills to help households struggling with the cost of living.

A £2 cap on bus fares is also set to be unveiled, possibly as soon as tomorrow, as Burnham begins his time in office with a policy blitz.

During the Makerfield by-election campaign last month, Burnham said he wanted to cut business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues by 20%.

He also vowed to raise the threshold at which independent hospitality, leisure and retail companies start to pay the charge, thereby slashing their bills.

Burnham said the policy would be funded by increasing the rates on large, out-of-town warehouses used by the likes of Amazon.

He said: “Our high streets matter to me because they matter to the people who live here.

“I want to make sure that these family-owned businesses, as the heart and soul of this country, are protected and given the chance to thrive.”

A source close to Burnham said they would not “get ahead of the announcement”.

The new PM has said he wants to tackle soaring costs to give Brits some “breathing space”.

Announcing his plan to slash electricity bills on Tuesday morning, he said: “Westminster has not been working for people for too long, with families struggling with the cost of living.

“That needs to change. I said I wanted to give people breathing space, and that’s what I’m announcing on my second day as prime minister.

“We’re taking immediate action to cut taxes on energy bills, put more money in people’s pockets and bring back hope.”

The new PM said removing VAT from bills would be paid for by his decision to scrap Keir Starmer’s digital ID scheme.

But Darren Jones, who was sacked from the cabinet by Burnham on Monday, said that scheme was “unfunded” so the government would have to find the money from somewhere else.

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