In light of the media’s abject failure to properly scrutinise Labour prior to Starmer’s historic landslide – the results of which have been plain to see this week – Guido has published a handy guide for journalists. Questions that Burnham must answer prior to his ascension to the top of government…
The ex-mayor is doing a series of speeches and events to flag his agenda. He may also choose to give more interviews. After all he is meant to be gifted at comms…
- Will you change the definition of the “fiscal rules” in any sense from the last Reeves alteration?
- Can you name the fiscal rules now?
- What is your exact definition of “working people” seeing as you have signed up to the Labour manifesto which says taxes will not be raised on them?
- Which taxes do not impact “working people“?
- Which taxes do impact “working people“?
- Does the overall welfare bill need to come down? If so, by how much?
- Will you rule out borrowing outside the “fiscal rules” to fund increased defence spending?
- Will you change Starmer’s Defence Investment Plan?
- Will you reach 3% defence spending by 2030?
- Will you rule out compensating the WASPI women?
- What is a woman?
- Do you agree the UK should transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius?
- Will you ban social media for under-16s?
- Is China a national security threat?
- Was the government right in its approach to US military action against Iran?
- Will you nationalise Thames Water in this parliament?
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In January 2021, you tweeted: “Any UK politician who gave Trump the time of day should be ashamed right now.” Do you stand by your claim?
- Do you support mandatory Digital ID to work in the UK?
- Will you rule out calling a general election before 2029?
- Do you support this government’s current Net Zero commitments?
- Do you support a ban on new North Sea oil and gas exploration licences?
- Do you support the current government’s approach to immigration policy? If not, how?
- What should the net immigration level be in the UK?
- How will you reduce the number of small boats ferrying migrants across the Channel illegally?
- Do you support the pension triple lock?
- What specific policies will you pursue to reform the benefits system?
- Will you, as new head of the OBR Professor Haskell has suggested, commit to not increasing business taxes further during the life of this Parliament, including capital gains tax?
- The Labour manifesto said: “We will publish a roadmap for business taxation for the next parliament which will allow businesses to plan investments with confidence.” This has not been done. Would your administration publish this plan?
- Will you commit to preserving people’s ability to withdraw 25% of their pension as tax-free lump sum and to preserving the current value of pension contribution allowances?
- Do you commit to cancelling the increases in fuel duty that are planned for 2027?
- Will you commit not to extend further the freeze on tax thresholds?
- You earlier suggested an additional 10% inheritance tax levy. Can you now rule that out?
- Given that taxes on banks are already far higher than those in competing countries, will you pledge that bank taxes will not be increased anymore?
- Rumours have already started that you will impose an exit tax. Given that such rumours push entrepreneurs to abandon Britain, can you firmly rule this out now?
- Can you rule out joining the European Union at any point in your premiership?
Without clear answers from Burnham the media risks letting another Labour politician get away with it, blow up, and waste years of voters’ time. Not to mention billions of pounds of taxpayer cash…
