Burnham prepares to meet business chiefs amid fears his October Budget will hit them with tax rises

From the Newshound archive · first published 11 October 2026 · last updated 12 October 2026.

Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey are set to hold meetings with chief executives and lobby groups after complaints from business that the government has failed to spell out its economic plans ahead of the Budget on 28 October. The outreach follows warnings that Whitehall is in the grip of a bare-knuckle spending fight, with Burnham reportedly sitting alongside Healey to block departmental bids. Health Secretary Yvette Cooper is among those facing a squeeze, balancing nurses' strike threats against Treasury constraints.

The latest Opinium poll puts Labour on 29%, Reform on 23% and the Conservatives up three points to 20% after their annual conference.

Senior ministers are finding Burnham himself is blocking their spending bids, one analyst writing he is waving 'a large neon sign that says "No"' alongside Healey.