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Andy Burnham will kick off a national tour this week to ask the public how the Government can improve their lives.<\/p>\n
Officials said the Prime Minister would be in \u201clistening mode\u201d as he spends much of the rest of August travelling the country to discuss the cost of living.<\/p>\n
Having promised to give the public \u201cbreathing space\u201d, he is expected to unveil a series of measures intended to help with bills, following on from cuts to energy costs and a \u00a32 cap on bus fares announced in his first week in Downing Street.<\/p>\n
Mr Burnham will also focus on improving high streets and officials said he would use the summer tour to inform his 10-year plan for the country.<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister said he would be \u201cgetting out of Westminster and meeting people where they are\u201d.<\/p>\n
They added: \u201cHe thinks Westminster has got used to telling people that everyday hassles \u2013 like hidden pricing and consumers being ripped off \u2013 must be accepted as part of life.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe doesn\u2019t think that\u2019s right. That\u2019s why he\u2019s going to start rolling out a series of pro-consumer cost-of-living measures to give people some room to breathe.\u201d<\/p>\n
With the fallout of the Iran war keeping inflation higher than expected, the cost of living remains a major concern among the public.<\/p>\n
A poll published by Ipsos at the end of July found 30% of people listed the economy as a major concern while 22% listed inflation or prices specifically.<\/p>\n
But opposition figures have accused Mr Burnham of \u201ctinkering\u201d with his announcements.<\/p>\n
Reform UK\u2019s economic spokesman Robert Jenrick said the Prime Minister should \u201cscrap green levies and taxes on energy bills\u201d, and rule out tax rises in October\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n
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