Andy Burnham leaves Manchester £1.34bn in the red.
‘Big-spending instincts’ of PM-in-waiting should concern taxpayers, opponents warn
Robert WhiteMoney ReporterShow biography
Published 14 July 2026 12:00pm BST
Andy Burnham left Greater Manchester with the highest debt of any combined authority in England, analysis shows.The former mayor’s outstanding borrowing totalled £1.34bn by the end of the last financial year, up from £964m before he took office in 2017, according to government figures.Adjusted for population, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)’s debt per resident was £462, the second highest of all combined authorities.
He s“In his time as mayor, the general mayoral council tax precept rose by a staa staggering 127pc. With the prime minister-in-waiting promising more and more spending, the national debt is set to hit new heights.”
Analysts warned that more bills would be “pushed on to taxpayers” if Mr Burnham took “the same big-spending instincts” into Downing Street. It came after a report on Monday warned taxes could rise by £38bn under his premiership. DT.
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