ANDY BURNHAM ANNOUNCES £2 BUS FARE CAP AND INVITES G20 TO MANCHESTER

Andy Burnham has announced a £2 cap on bus fares and invited world leaders to Manchester for the 2027 G20 summit, according to reports of his first actions as Prime Minister. The bus fare cap is set to be unveiled imminently, whilst Burnham reportedly used his first phone call after taking office to contact US President Donald Trump and invite him to the summit, with Trump said to have accepted. The moves form part of a broader policy package announced by the new Labour administration, which also includes a 20 per cent reduction in business rates for the hospitality sector.

The announcements follow a VAT cut on energy bills for households, which Chancellor John Healey said would "bring down inflation while supporting households in every postcode." Government borrowing fell by a third in June compared with a year earlier, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Healey stated that "fiscal credibility is the bedrock for economic stability and for national security" and pledged to work with Burnham to meet fiscal rules. Burnham, formerly mayor of Greater Manchester, has framed the G20 hosting as part of a wider commitment to shift power and economic opportunity away from London.

Hosting the G20 in Manchester would represent a significant departure from recent practice; the last G20 summit held in Britain took place in London in 2009. No major international political event of comparable scale has been hosted by Manchester since the pan-African Congress in 1945. The announcement comes as Bolton pursues a bid to host golf's Ryder Cup under Burnham's backing, and as Manchester prepares to host the Tour de France next year.