Why Burnham's Economic Plan Is About To Fall Apart

The cost of government borrowing is going up and up. That means the chancellor, John Healey, may well need to cut spending or raise taxes next month - and tax rises are much more likely. Labour MPs are overwhelmingly happy for the first time in living memory, but is that because they haven't woken up to the grim economic reality? The Labour Party conference slogan this year is 'Hope Again', but while the prime minister is projecting optimism, the chancellor is cutting a much more sombre figure as his fiscal headroom shrinks. Will Andy Burnham's desire to lead on economic policy survive next month's budget?

The assumption has been that Burnham will either stick to the Labour manifesto or he'll call an early election. Would he consider breaking, or at least bending, the manifesto to pay for all the things he wants to do?

Labour's plan to block donations to Reform UK from Christopher Harborne and Ben Delo is nakedly partisan. The row shines a light on the strange world of political donations and the surprisingly vague laws that govern them. How much of a difference would the £72m make to Reform's electoral prospects?

Steven Swinford, political editor, The Times
Ben Riley-Smith, political editor, The Sunday Times
Lara Spirit, deputy political editor, The Sunday Times
Patrick Maguire, chief political commentator, The Times

Producer: Harry Kitson
Executive producer: Molly Guinness

Picture: Getty Images

00:00 - Intro: Economic Crises & Mega Donations
00:45 - Entering The Economic "Danger Zone"
02:00 - "Trussed In Slow Motion": Surging UK Debt Costs
03:44 - Burnham vs Healey: The Cabinet Rift Over Growth
05:52 - Defence vs Welfare: Labour's Impossible Trade-Offs
07:19 - Is Andy Burnham Secretly Planning A Snap General Election?
18:01 - Fighting Nigel Farage: Labour's High-Stakes Gamble
20:44 - Reform UK’s Shocking £72 Million Mega-Donation
24:08 - Is Labour’s Attack On Crypto Donors Purely Partisan?
33:58 - How Reform UK Plans To Spend Their £72M War Chest

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