Britain’s finances are at a crossroads – we can’t wait until the Budget to resolve the urgent spending dilemmas we face

New PM must get a grip of finances ANDY BURNHAM’S first week in power has been full of feelgood policy pledges with no sign of how to pay for them. At his first Cabinet, the new PM warned ministers they would have to cut departmental spending to help fund the string of new plans he announced, such as capping bus fares at £2, cutting VAT on electricity and slashing business rates for pubs. New PM Andy Burnham’s first week in charge has been packed with feel-good policy pledges – but little indication of how they will be paid for Credit: PA It is a relief to hear Treasury supremo John Healey talking up the potential of our economy Credit: Alamy We’re all for some much-needed belt-tightening across Whitehall, but this is not going to touch the sides, PM. When plans for social care and foreign aid spending are thrown in, some estimates put his new spree at £100BILLION. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! That’s not the kind of cash you find down the back of the sofa. Especially when taxpayers are already forced to fork out £12billion A MONTH just to cover interest on our near-£3trillion national debt. READ MORE FROM THE SUN SAYS But the new PM made a sensible decision in appointing John Healey as Chancellor ahead of the hapless Ed Miliband. After years of doom narratives from Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, it is a relief to hear a Treasury supremo talking up the potential of our economy. In his interview today he mentions driving wealth creation, raising business profits and buying British by design. Great ambitions, Mr Healey. Most read in The Sun But when you talk about a “glimpse of a new economy” let’s apply some new common sense decisions to achieve it. Start by drilling for British North Sea gas instead of spending £20billion a year to import our supplies from Norway. Slash Reeves’s ruinous National Insurance increase on firms which has helped dump a million young people on the dole. Then cut business rates and red tape for all employers to fuel more jobs. The way to pay for this is to cut Britain’s unsustainable £333billion welfare bill — not by piling more tax rises on the backs of struggling strivers who are already under the cosh. The new PM says these urgent spending dilemmas will be resolved by the next Budget. But this cannot wait until October. Britain’s finances are at a crossroads. Andy Burnham will have to choose his path sooner than he thinks. Getting away with it ANOTHER welfare scandal is revealed in figures showing benefit fraudsters illegally claim £4.3million a week while living abroad. These crooks cheat the system by pretending they’re in the UK while pocketing Universal Credit and other handouts. Last year it cost taxpayers £226million. This fraud must be stamped out and face-to-face meetings brought in for all claimants. Hard-working taxpayers should not be funding scroungers on loungers. Comment now