Andy Burnham sets out new business offer to UK firms

On Friday 24 July 2026, Prime Minister Andy Burnham held his first round of calls with major business organisations, including the CBI, British Chambers of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, Make UK, Small Business Britain and Startup Coalition. His message was simple enough to follow: government wants a closer deal with the private sector, and it wants that deal to feel different from the stop-start relationship many firms say they have had with Whitehall. This matters because the call was not just ceremonial. According to the official gov.uk announcement, the groups on the line speak for hundreds of thousands of businesses, from manufacturers and big employers to start-ups and high street firms. So when Burnham says he is putting a new offer on the table, he is speaking to organisations that can quickly tell ministers whether that offer sounds convincing or thin.

The offer itself comes in four parts: greater certainty, clearer long-term direction, faster decisions and a stronger business voice in policy-making. If you're trying to follow the policy language, here is the plain-English version. Firms want to know the rules will not keep changing, they want planning and investment decisions to move more quickly, and they want to be heard before policy is announced rather than after the damage is done. Burnham is also trying to answer a political complaint that has built up over years: many businesses feel overlooked until a crisis hits. In the government's own wording, he wants to be a 'circuit breaker' for rising costs, weak high streets and employers who feel ignored across Whitehall. This is what ministers mean by 'good growth in every postcode': not just better national figures, but jobs and investment people can actually notice where they live.

There is one early example the government is already pointing to. In his first week in office, Burnham announced 20 per cent relief for pubs, clubs and music venues, and he has repeated his promise to reform business rates more widely. Ministers say that should ease pressure on town centre businesses and protect places people value in their communities. **What this means:** business rates relief is not the same as solving every cost problem, but it can buy breathing space. For a local venue, lower overheads can mean the difference between cutting staff, trimming opening hours or staying open through a rough period. Politically, the move also lets Burnham say this is not only talk about growth at some distant date; it is meant to start with visible help now.

Another big theme is devolution. Burnham argued that Britain is too centralised, with too many decisions taken far from the places affected by them. His answer is a more agile state, with more power pushed closer to communities, employers and investors so projects can move faster and local people can feel the benefits sooner. If you are new to this policy area, the key point is this: devolution is about who gets to decide. When decisions sit only in Whitehall, regeneration schemes, transport plans or investment deals can slow down in layers of approval. When power is moved nearer to cities, towns and regions, the government hopes bureaucracy shrinks and local growth stops feeling like something designed elsewhere for somebody else.

But this was not an unconditional embrace of business. Burnham also said government will step in more actively when markets or regulators are not delivering for working people, especially in essential services such as energy and water. That is an important detail, because it shows the partnership he is offering comes with conditions. In other words, ministers are saying two things at once. They want firms to invest, hire and help rebuild local economies. They also want to crack down on poor standards where companies fail customers, workers or communities. For readers trying to make sense of the politics, that is the balance Burnham is aiming for: pro-growth, but not hands-off when basic services are failing.

The sharpest ask from Burnham was about young people and work. He warned that rising youth unemployment has to become a first test of this new partnership, and he said too many young people leave school without being ready for the workplace. That creates a double problem: businesses struggle to recruit, while young people struggle to get a first step into stable employment. **Why this matters:** if you're young and looking for work, this is the part to watch. The 'first rung in the ladder' line points to entry-level jobs, training, apprenticeships and the often-missing bridge between education and employment. The government has not yet set out the full programme, but the direction is clear. Burnham wants employers to help open more routes into work, not only ask for a better-skilled workforce later.

Trade sat in the background of the announcement, but it was there for a reason. Burnham said he has been speaking with world leaders about stronger trade ties at the same time as a new round of US tariffs was announced on Friday 24 July 2026. The government says the UK's Economic Prosperity Deal is still in place and has improved trading terms by removing tariffs on whisky and medical technology. For younger readers, a tariff is a tax placed on goods crossing a border. When tariffs rise, exporting can become harder and more expensive. When tariffs are removed, companies can sell more easily into that market. So this part of the message was about stability: even in a tense global trade moment, ministers want businesses to believe Britain can still protect jobs and open opportunities abroad. That is why they keep linking trade policy to economic security.

Burnham also tied the business pitch to workers' rights and public procurement. Ministers say planned workers' rights reforms will be shaped alongside businesses, trade unions and workers, with the aim of lifting living standards while still supporting growth. They also say public contracts should back British business by default, so taxpayer-funded spending is more likely to support jobs, apprenticeships, skills and innovation at home. There is one more clue about where this is heading. The government says the Business Secretary and AI Minister have already engaged more than 200 business leaders, and the call list itself ranged from the Institute of Directors and Family Business UK to Co-operatives UK, Social Enterprise UK, Citizens Advice and the TUC. That matters because it suggests ministers want this to look broader than a boardroom-only conversation. At the same time, they have created a new Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade to bring economic and industrial priorities together. Taken together, this looks like an opening offer rather than a finished settlement. The language is confident, but the real measure will be delivery: faster decisions, fairer markets, stronger rights at work and more young people getting that first chance.