Burnham to visit Wales on cost-of-living tour

Nation.Cymru staff/agencies

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will visit south Wales on Thursday, with the Welsh Government using the trip to press for a greater share of UK steel funding and action to cut energy costs.

Mr Burnham will visit Port Talbot alongside Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams as part of a wider tour of the UK focused on the cost of living and economic growth.

The Prime Minister is expected to spend the morning speaking to workers and apprentices during what Downing Street has described as a “listening tour”.

The visit comes after Tata Steel ended traditional blast furnace steelmaking at Port Talbot in 2024 as part of its transition to electric arc furnace production. The restructuring resulted in around 2,500 job losses across the UK, the majority of them at Port Talbot.

Ms Williams said: “I’m pleased to have the opportunity to visit Port Talbot with the Prime Minister today. It is a positive example of governments working together to improve people’s lives.

“Co-operation on energy and industrial strategy is essential if Wales is to seize the opportunities of the green transition and create well-paid jobs for the future.

“Port Talbot knows better than most that change comes at a cost. Local families have shown remarkable resilience through a difficult few years, but resilience can only take a community so far. People deserve to see real opportunities returning to the town.

“That means sustained investment in Welsh industry and a guarantee that Wales receives its fair share of the UK Government’s Steel Fund to support workers and communities through this transition.”

Ofgem announced on Wednesday that the energy price cap will increase by 4% from October 1, taking the annual bill for a typical household using gas and electricity to £1,723.

‘Under pressure’

Ms Williams said: “Those same families are also facing rising energy costs. With the energy price cap set to rise by a further 4% ahead of winter, households are coming under renewed pressure.

“That is why the Welsh Government is calling on the UK Government to introduce an energy social tariff to support those facing fuel poverty and struggling with high energy bills.

“Households in Wales face some of the highest energy standing charges in the UK, adding to the burden on families already under pressure. We are calling on the UK Government to address this longstanding unfairness.

“Consideration must also be given to supporting the many households in rural Wales that rely on costly heating oil because they are not connected to the mains gas grid.

“Wales is an energy-rich nation. People should see that reflected in good jobs, stronger communities and lower bills.”

Mr Burnham’s visit to Wales follows other stops on his summer tour, which began earlier this month.

He said: “I am in south Wales today because the answers to the UK’s challenges will not come from an echo chamber. They will come from the places that know their own strengths, and from a Government willing to listen and then act.

“Good jobs in every community, in every part of the UK. That is what I want every leader in this country signed up to.”

Economic growth

The Prime Minister is also expected to announce plans to bring together the leaders of the UK’s devolved governments in October to discuss economic growth.

The meeting would include the first ministers of Wales and Scotland and the first minister and deputy first minister of Northern Ireland.

Mr Burnham also plans another meeting of the National Economic Council, the Gordon Brown-era body he revived during his first week in Downing Street, to discuss cooperation between Westminster and the devolved governments.

His tour has focused heavily on the cost of living, with Downing Street saying the government will announce further action later this week against what it described as “rogue operators” responsible for rip-off prices.

The Prime Minister has also faced criticism over the itinerary from Scottish First Minister John Swinney, who said he was “surprised” Scotland had not been included in the summer tour. Mr Burnham visited Glasgow during his first week in office.

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