Does Andy Burnham’s government have the guts to deliver growth?

Andy Burnham is officially in No. 10, and his cabinet is in place. Replacing Rachel Reeves’ as Chancellor is John Healey - not, in fact, Shabana Mahmood or Ed Miliband, both names that were thrown around in the lead up.

Can the so-called “King of the North” deliver the growth and stability the business community says has been so badly lacking? Amidst a flurry of policy announcements - bus fare caps and a 20 percent cut in business rates for hospitality - is real change a possibility?

“The UK is very unique in the fact that we pay two forms of income tax … national income is a tax on employers and work” Mehreen Khan, economics editor at the Times, tells The Business. “Let's see how brave they want to be…I think this is a long overdue reform.”

With Times business editor Richard Fletcher, Khan discusses the upcoming budget, how the relationship between the Chancellor and Prime Minister may play out - and just how much change the business community is expecting to see from this new leader. “ I do suspect we'll get a little bounce in consumer confidence, and hence growth, just from a new face in No. 10. How long that lasts - who knows?” Richard Fletcher said. “I think that it is going to take some quite serious reforms to do that and I'm not sure the backbenchers particularly have got the guts to do that.”

Hosts:

Hannah Prevett, associate business editor, The Sunday Times

Dominic O’Connell, business correspondent, Times Radio

Guests:

Richard Fletcher, Business editor, The Times

Mehreen Khan, Economics editor, The Times

Producer: Hope Federico

Executive Producers: Miriam Hall and Emily Leahy

Photo Credit: Getty

Get in touch: thebusiness@thetimes.com

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