UK politics live: Andy Burnham warned he will have to raise taxes on middle classes to fund defence spending

Andy Burnham won power in Britain this summer by proving to his own Labour Party that he could beat the hard-right populists of Reform UK. Now, thanks to a flounce out of Parliament by the prime minister he usurped, he has a chance to show he can slay dragons on the left too.

Some MPs have pressed for the government to introduce a cap on UK-based donors.

Should Andy Burnham cut spending on benefits to fund defence?

Government pledges to find quick ‘solution’ to party funding row under pressure from Labour MPs Andy Burnham’s government has pledged to “tackle the issue of mega-donors in UK politics” as soon as possible, with dozens of Labour MPs demanding an immediate cap on donations before…

Prime minister promises his government will make decisions ‘grounded in fiscal responsibility’ Andy Burnham moved to calm volatile bond markets on Wednesday as surging borrowing costs threatened to wreck plans for his government’s crucial first budget next month. After a…

Burnham said he had already cut taxes, including VAT on energy bills and hospitality business rates.

Lord Jim O’Neill has warned a hike to capital gains tax “looms out” as one of the easiest revenue-raising options for Andy Burnham and his chancellor, John Healey, as the pair draw up plans for their first Budget in October. “They’ve ruled out the three main taxes, so if they’re…

The chancellor is set to unveil plans next year on how to meet Labour’s pledge of devoting 3.5% of GDP to defence