Andy Burnham under pressure to explain how to pay for policy pledges

New prime minister implores cabinet to examine 'all possible ways' to tackle cost-of-living crisis

Prime minister Andy Burnham hosts his first Cabinet meeting at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday. Picture: Eddie Mulholland/PA

Andy Burnham is under mounting pressure to explain how he will pay for his policy pledges as he implored his new cabinet to examine “all possible ways” to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

On his first full day in power, the prime minister faced questions about how he would fund the removal of Vat from electricity bills and also an expected uplift in defence spending — an issue that led his new chancellor, John Healey, to resign as Keir Starmer’s defence secretary last month.