The Andy Burnham nightmare begins with Labour’s same old answer – more taxes and smothered growth

Sting of the North BRITAIN remains stuck in a high tax, low growth doom loop – and there are precious few early signs Andy Burnham will get us out of it. In fact, the overwhelming likelihood is that he could make things even worse. Despite the UK’s economic woes, there are precious few signs that Andy Burnham will get us out of it Credit: EPA The PM-in-waiting’s confession to Gary Lineker that he may ‘ask for a little more’ from taxpayers was pure Burnham Credit: Getty The man who becomes our Prime Minister on Monday is so keen to avoid proper scrutiny that we have no real idea what his plan will be, or if he even has one properly worked out. But his confession to Gary Lineker that he may “ask for a little more” from taxpayers was pure Burnham — hiding the pain and damage of future tax bombshells under his cloak of empty Manchester “vibes”. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! So far he has refused to rule out a wealth tax — a policy that has never worked in ANY country where it has been tried. His allies are pushing a land value tax to replace council tax which could see households currently paying £3,000 a year hit with a bill for TRIPLE that. READ MORE FROM THE SUN SAYS Then there are the spending commitments to an unreformed welfare state, nationalisation of energy and establishment of a No10 North, which will cost tens of millions. All point towards massive tax rises in the Autumn. Yesterday’s dismal GDP figures were further proof of the economic damage wreaked by Rachel Reeves’s two Budgets, which clobbered workers and business for more than £66billion. The economy is flatlining and economists at the OECD say Britain has reached its limit on tax. Most read in The Sun Yet it seems Burnham – incredibly still dithering over who will be his Chancellor – will be demanding even more. Take pride, Lions YESTERDAY we awoke to that familiar feeling of despair at England exiting the World Cup in the later stages. Yes, it sticks in the craw to lose to an Argentina side well-steeped in the dark arts. Yes, it was sickening to see them gloating in victory and claiming the Falklands. But we must not let the pain of another agonising defeat overshadow the enormous pride at the performances of Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and the other Three Lions heroes. Heads up, and let’s go again at the Euros in 2028. After all, that tournament is at home . . . Not too late IN a rush to impose intrusive affordability checks, the Gambling Commission hasn’t even made proper inquiries into how it will push punters towards illegal online sites. The share of the market controlled by the black market is set to DOUBLE by 2031, with criminal gangs the big winner. It’s not too late for the Commission to hold off on its nanny state measure – at least until it properly establishes the facts. Comment now