Andy Burnham admits he would have liked more radical first budget

Prime minister says room for manoeuvre was limited by geopolitical crises and Labour’s 2024 manifesto

Andy Burnham has admitted his first budget as prime minister was not as radical as he would have liked because of the economic uncertainty facing the country.

He said he would have liked to have gone further with this week’s announcement – including with higher energy support payments – but felt hemmed in by external events such as the war in Iran, which has pushed up borrowing costs.

Burnham’s chancellor, John Healey, announced a range of relatively inexpensive measures on Wednesday, including a £100 payment for most households to help with energy bills this winter.