Friday High Five – a Budget warning for Burnham

By any measure Andy Burnham has had a good summer honeymoon since becoming Prime Minister.

However, the next big event on the horizon will be the Autumn budget set by his pick for Chancellor, John Healey.

Business confidence has ticked up according to the recent Lloyds Bank survey, but that optimism is thin.

Already the speculation has started about what will be in the Budget, and who will have to foot the bill for a social care revolution and increased defence spending, without a short term fix for the welfare bill.

Some sectors have been softened up for a tax raid, the gambling industry and big banks, who have benefited from higher interest rates.

His priorities are to ease cost of living pressures and get economic growth motoring. It’s a delicate balance, and he should heed the warnings of the past.

One of which is to cut out the constant leaks and second guessing in the run up to the big day.

So far, all the indications are that he has a far slicker media operation, but for the sake of business confidence – don’t fuel the fire.