Andy Burnham’s Labour Government is taking immediate action to give families some breathing room on the cost of living.

From cutting VAT on domestic electricity bills, to making bus travel more affordable and reducing business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues, these measures will help ease pressure on household budgets while supporting local high streets and businesses.

Cutting the Cost of Energy Bills

The new Prime Minister is taking VAT off energy bills from 1st October. Taking 5% VAT off domestic electricity bills will give everyone in Britain some help with their electricity bills, and is expected to knock £45 off annual energy costs.

£2 Bus Ticket Cap

The Government has announcement that bus fares across England will be capped at £2 from January 2027 until the end of 2027, helping millions of passengers with the cost of travel.

The announcement comes on top of the Government’s commitment to provide free bus travel throughout August for children aged five to fifteen on participating local services.

Business rates cut for pubs, clubs and music venues

The government will provide a further 20% cut for pubs, clubs, and all but the largest live music venues, on top of the existing support from April 2027.

New business rate cuts will benefit around 32,000 pubs, clubs and live music venues, worth around £100 million in the next financial year. That equates to saving the typical pub an estimated £1,100 next year. 

The government are reviewing reliefs for businesses that do not make a positive contribution to local communities, such as vape shops, to fund this support.