Burnham has previously talked about business rates changespublished at 05:55 BST
05:55 BST
Image source, ReutersImage caption,
Cuts to business rates was a topic Andy Burnham had been talking about during his campaign in the Makerfield by-election
During Burnham’s by-election campaign in Makerfield, his team released a policy document promising a cut in business rates for pubs and music venues by 20%.
That would be paid for, they said, with higher taxes on out-of-town warehouses used by online retailers like Amazon.
The prime minister has also previously said he wants to raise the threshold at which business rates kick in, which would take lots of small high street shops out of paying altogether.
“Our high streets matter to me because they matter to the people who live here. I want to make sure that these family-owned businesses, as the heart and soul of this country, are protected and given the chance to thrive,” he said at the time, adding that his party had so far “got this wrong”.
After winning the Makerfield by-election and in his first speech as Labour leader, Burnham pitted himself as a “pro-business” party leader – just as “I was a pro-business mayor of Greater Manchester” he said.