Andy Burnham issues statement on budget after major funding boost announced for Greater Manchester

Mayor for Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has issued a statement following the announcement of the Labour government's first budget, with a major funding boost also announced for the region and it's transport network.

On Wednesday (October 30), Chancellor Rachel Reeves spent 77 minutes detailing the Treasury's plans for the year ahead. Key changes were announced to the national minimum wage and benefits, including the state pension. There were several changes to tax which were also confirmed, as well as plans to invest in the country.

Key changes announced included an increase in the national minimum wage, set to rise by 6.7 per cent, pensions to rise due to the commitment to the 'triple lock', cuts to alcohol and fuel duty, an increase in state benefits and a NHS funding package.

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"The choices that I have made today are the right choices for our country - to restore stability to our public finances, to protect working people, to fix our NHS and to rebuild Britain," she said. "That doesn’t mean these choices are easy, but they are responsible."

The budget, announced on Wednesday, will raise taxes by £40bn. Ms Reeves added: "This is a moment of fundamental choice for Britain. I have made my choices. The responsible choices: to restore stability to our country, to protect working people, more teachers in our schools, more appointments in our NHS, more homes being built, fixing the foundations of our economy, investing in our future, delivering change, rebuilding Britain.”

Labour Mayor Andy Burnham issued a public statement on Wednesday night, commending the budget as 'the first since the 1980s to get serious' about the UK's housing crisis. He said the budget allow for a new generation of council and social homes across the borough and UK.

Mr Burnham also thanked Ms Reeves for supporting 'devolution in Greater Manchester'. The Chancellor announced the Greater Manchester mayor will become one of the first to gain integrated settlements which will give these areas 'meaningful control of the funding' and how it is allocated.

A major funding boost for the region was also announced. The Chancellor confirmed funding to 'secure the delivery' of the TransPennine Upgrade between York and Manchester. She said this would ensure 'fully electric local and regional services' between Manchester and Stalybridge 'by the end of this year', plus work to electrify the line near York by 2026.

Ms Reeves told MPs this would 'help grow our economy across the North of England, with faster and more reliable services'. She also confirmed funding to improve capacity at Manchester Victoria, and to electrify the Wigan to Bolton line.

Responding to the Budget, Mr Burnham said: "This is the first Budget since the 1980s to get serious about the epic scale of the UK’s housing crisis. We wholeheartedly support the Government’s drive to tackle it with a new generation of council and social homes and are ready to deliver at least 10,000 in this Parliament.

"We believe this, alongside other measures in the Budget, will begin to ease the financial pressure on our councils and we are grateful to the Government for listening to our concerns on this.

"Most significantly, we thank the Chancellor for the huge vote of confidence in devolution in Greater Manchester by confirming the move to a new funding relationship with Whitehall in the form of an integrated settlement from next April. This will mean we can now go further and faster, accelerating the growth we are seeing in our economy and the improvements we are making in the lives of our residents."