Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Millie Cooke,David Maddox and Nicole Wootton-Cane

Sacked minister questions funding for Burnham’s first major policy

Electricity Andy Burnham John Healey
  • New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced plans to remove VAT from household electricity bills, effective from 1 October.
  • Darren Jones, a former Cabinet minister, criticised Mr Burnham's proposal, saying it is “unfunded”.
  • Chancellor John Healey said that the VAT cut would be financed by cancelling the Digital ID programme.
  • Mr Jones argued that the Digital ID programme was already unfunded and said that the government will “have to set out how it will pay for its new policies”.
  • The announcement coincided with Mr Burnham finalising his cabinet appointments, including Angela Rayner as housing secretary and Wes Streeting as defence secretary.

IN FULL

Andy Burnham latest: Sacked minister attacks PM’s ‘unfunded’ electricity bill VAT cut

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Dietitians and Sleep Doctors Say TikTok's "Early Bird Dinner" Trend Is Actually Backed by Science
TikTok's early bird dinner trend has real science behind it. Sleep specialists and dietitians explain what eating earlier does to your body and who should be cautious.
Medical Daily
Medical Daily
“Randy said, ‘Maybe if you tried it in this key…’ He had the patience because he was a guitar teacher. He wouldn’t intimidate me. Because I’m quite easily intimidated”: Ozzy Osbourne on his special writing dynamic with Randy Rhoads
Blizzard of Ozz was the Prince of Darkness' solo debut – but it forever marked Rhoads as a guitar hero for the ages
Guitar World
Guitar World
Washington woman visits CVS Target pharmacy and a man suddenly goes ballistic over standing in the feminine products aisle: ‘Next is the sexual products’
In 2026? Seriously?
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
A New York woman says a bite of McDonald’s fries left her with severe burns. Now she’s taking the fast-food giant to court saying it caused her physical trauma
The fries were allegedly "unreasonably" hot.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
A year on from the tragic passing of the great Ozzy Osbourne, we dive into the secrets behind Randy Rhoads’ guitar tone on the iconic Crazy Train – and lift the lid on how to nail the sound on a budget
How a mids-heavy EQ and a triple-tracked solo gave Rhoads to the sound that launched Ozzy's solo career
Guitar World
Guitar World
Missouri women save turtle in road. Then a cop pulls them over: ‘Don’t pay the ticket’
She says she contacted a lawyer.
We Got This Covered
We Got This Covered
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.
Download on the AppStore Get it on Google Play