‘Whether someone gets the chance to get back on their feet says something about who we are, it says something about the country we’re trying to build’, Prime Minister Andy Burnham writes
I’m used to people telling me things can’t be done. They said it about reopening the Hillsborough inquiry. They said it about re-regulating buses in Manchester. And now they’re saying it about taking power out of Westminster too.
I’m sure I’ll keep hearing it. But if I’ve learnt anything from my time in politics, it’s that “it can’t be done” is usually just another way of saying “we’ve stopped trying”. And this week we’ve shown what’s possible when we don’t accept that as an answer.
Our work started where it should: rough sleeping. On day one, we committed to ending it. Not reducing it. Not managing it. Ending it. Because government after government has treated it like some fact of life – something you just step around rather than solve.
I won’t have that. Yes, there will always be people who fall on hard times. Life doesn’t always go to plan. But whether someone gets the chance to get back on their feet says something about who we are. It says something about the country we’re trying to build.
I want Britain to be a country where nobody is written off. Where everyone is treated with respect no matter who they are or what they’ve been through. And where the government doesn’t avoid a problem because it’s difficult, but rolls up its sleeves and gets to work.
Care of people. That’s what drove every decision I made as Mayor. And it’ll drive every choice I make as your Prime Minister.
We’re bringing that same attitude to the cost of living. Because, for too many families, life has become a constant calculation. Can we afford to put the heating on? Can we make that journey into town? Can we stretch things to the end of the month?
I want people to stop worrying and start feeling hopeful about what’s coming next. I want them to start to believe in Britain again. But I can’t ask people to dream about the future when they’re struggling to make life work.
So I’m making it a priority to give families a bit of breathing space. That’s what cutting VAT on electricity bills and capping bus fares at £2 is all about. It’s the first step in taking some of that pressure off people’s shoulders. It’s about giving people a moment to lift their head up and look forward again.
It’s a start. But I know it’s only that. Our job won’t be done until people aren’t just living – but living well. And that will take time and more than any one policy. In fact, it will take more than just Westminster.
Lasting change will only come when we stop tinkering with the system and accepting it’s broken. I’m not here to shift a few things round in Whitehall. We’ve tried that – and it doesn’t work. I’m here to shift power completely. I’m here to make sure that this is a country built to drive growth in every postcode.
This is why one of my first decisions was to open No10 North. This is about rebalancing decision-making in Britain and bringing regeneration and reindustrialisation to every part of it. I want all places to have the power to improve – just as we have seen happen in Greater Manchester. I want all towns to be able to lift their high streets and feel proud of them again.
This is the thinking behind cutting business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues. Those businesses have had a tough time – and they deserve a bit of relief. But they’re also pillars of our communities. They bring us together – in good times and bad. And if we’re serious about rebuilding our towns, we have to get serious about the places that hold them together too.
It’s only been a week. But we’ve done two tax cuts. Lowered bills and fares. Shifted power. Backed our communities. And got on with the job.
I’m not pretending we’ve solved Britain’s problems. Far from it. But this week is a reminder that the government can make people’s lives that little bit easier. That politics can work for the people. And that we don’t have to settle for what others say is and isn’t possible.
Of course, there will still be those who say it can’t be done.
But we proved them wrong in Manchester. And we’re going to prove them wrong again on a bigger scale. We are going to get Britain believing again – and bring back hope.