Burnham promise tracker
A stated intention is not a policy. Every pledge here is marked by how far it has actually travelled.
Draft — under editorial review. Entries are compiled from government announcements and contemporaneous reporting, and each still needs its primary source confirmed under our methodology. This page tracks what has been said and how far it has got; it takes no view on whether any pledge is desirable.
Where the programme stands
Checked up to 12 October 2026 (each entry shows its own date). Of 12 tracked pledges, 1 is in force and 3 have a dated, costed delivery plan — a delivery date, a stated cost (or no spending cost, for a regulatory change) and a named mechanism. 9 do not (all 12: 1 in force, 2 announced & funded, 1 dated & costed, 2 proposal / consultation, 5 stated intention, 1 delayed or revised). The visible cost-of-living measures have moved fastest; social care, council housing, devolution and reindustrialisation have not yet been costed or converted into dated plans. The stage-by-stage board is on the government delivery page.
- In force
- In force and taking effect.
- Announced & funded
- Money and a delivery route have been committed. The delivery board shows whether a date has been set.
- Dated & costed
- A date, an estimated cost and a mechanism have been stated; funding or legal authority awaits a decision.
- Needs legislation
- Cannot happen until Parliament passes something.
- Proposal / consultation
- Proposal published; final form not settled.
- Stated intention
- A commitment without a complete dated and costed delivery plan; individual steps may have begun.
- Delayed or revised
- Timetable slipped or the policy has been rewritten since announcement.
- Dropped
- No longer being pursued.
- In forceCost of living· 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027· checked 11 October 2026
Remove 5% VAT from domestic electricity
A temporary zero rate of VAT on domestic electricity in Great Britain from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, which the government estimated at about £45 a year on a typical price-cap bill.
Funding: Estimated at £850m in 2026/27 when announced, funded this year by cancelling the Digital ID programme. HMRC’s policy paper says the final costing will be scrutinised by the OBR and set out at a future fiscal event.
Still missing: Temporary: the zero rate ends on 31 March 2027 unless extended. Whether suppliers pass the full saving on, and what happens after March 2027, are not yet known.
- Announced & fundedTransport· 1 January–31 December 2027· checked 11 October 2026
£2 cap on single bus fares
A £2 cap on eligible single bus fares in England outside London from 1 January to 31 December 2027.
Funding: £400m extra for the fare cap; £454m including devolved-government funding, reprioritised from DESNZ’s budget.
Still missing: Implementation is still ahead; operator agreements and coverage outside existing franchised areas are unconfirmed.
- Announced & fundedHousing· checked 11 October 2026
End rough sleeping
End long-term rough sleeping “at the earliest opportunity”. A £340m first phase of a five-year, locally led programme is to fund 1,200 homes and intensive support for at least 3,000 people in England.
Funding: £340m additional funding announced on 20 July 2026, described as the opening investment in a five-year programme.
Still missing: No target date or definition for ending rough sleeping; the full five-year programme and its later funding have not been set out.
gov.uk, New PM launches drive to end rough sleeping (20 July 2026)
- Dated & costedBusiness & high street· From April 2027· checked 11 October 2026
Cut business rates for pubs, clubs and music venues
A 20% cut in business-rate bills for pubs, clubs and live-music venues from April 2027, affecting around 32,000 venues, with a claimed saving of about £1,100 for a typical pub.
Funding: Package estimated at roughly £100m a year; final costing due at the Budget on 28 October 2026.
Still missing: Government says the package will be fully funded; the detailed design, including exclusions for the largest venues, awaits the Budget.
- Proposal / consultationBusiness & high street· Changes targeted for early 2027· checked 11 October 2026
Council powers over vape shops and betting premises
Require separate planning permission for vape shops, give councils greater power to refuse betting and adult-gaming premises — particularly near schools — and remove the Gambling Act’s “aim to permit” rule.
Still missing: The announcement targets planning changes for early 2027. It does not establish a complete implementation costing or that all proposed powers are in force.
- Proposal / consultationConsumer· Rules targeted for January 2027· checked 11 October 2026
Crack down on misleading discounts and subscription traps
Consult on banning misleading discounts and inflated “recommended” prices; introduce clearer subscriptions, renewal reminders, easier cancellation and a 14-day cooling-off period from January 2027.
Still missing: The announcement promises an autumn consultation on misleading discounts and January subscription rules; it does not verify completed rule-making or implementation costs.
- Delayed or revisedJustice· Phased commencement from 1 October 2026· checked 11 October 2026
Pause and narrow the early-release scheme
Pause and review early release; exclude rape, serious child-sex and grooming offences; require tagging and stronger supervision.
Still missing: Commencement began in October in stages: existing-prisoner tranches continue into June 2027, with a separate October 2027 provision for certain people on curfew licences. Release volumes and supervision outcomes are not established by the commencement instrument.
Sentencing Act 2026, Commencement No. 6 Regulations (SI 2026/953)
- Stated intentionSocial care· checked 12 October 2026
A National Care Service
The proposed National Care Service would cover help with daily personal care. Accommodation and food would still be charged for.
Funding: Proposed pension savings would contribute. A complete costed delivery plan remains outstanding.
Still missing: A proposed funding mechanism now exists, but a full costed rollout, precise start date and eligibility rules remain outstanding. The September announcement replaces the earlier July-only account.
- Stated intentionHousing· checked 11 October 2026
Build substantially more council housing
Build significantly more council housing, and use it to reduce homelessness and welfare spending.
Funding: £39bn over ten years for the wider Social and Affordable Homes Programme; not a dedicated council-only total.
Still missing: The reviewed statement does not establish a separate numerical target, complete council-only cost or delivery deadline for the new pledge.
- Stated intentionDevolution· checked 11 October 2026
Push power “into every postcode” and create No 10 North
Transfer power out of Whitehall, establish a No 10 North, and make central and regional government operate as one system.
Still missing: A short policy paper, Rewiring the State, said mayors and strategic authorities would retain portions of income tax and business rates, with a white paper and implementation timetable to follow. The detailed funding settlement and implementation timetable remain pending.
- Stated intentionEconomy· checked 11 October 2026
Reindustrialise and extend public control of essential services
Bring essential services under stronger public control, reindustrialise Britain, and use public procurement to back British industry.
Still missing: The promised 10-year plan for Britain is due later in 2026; no costings or sequencing yet.
- Stated intentionEducation· checked 11 October 2026
Reform education and youth mental-health support
Change the education system, improve mental-health support and move more young people into employment.
Funding: Related £343m community mental-health package; not a complete costing of the combined youth and education pledge.
Still missing: Separate measures exist, but a complete youth-specific budget, timetable and outcome baseline for this combined pledge are not established.
Check the wider evidence
Pledge delivery, national outcomes and opposition proposals answer different questions. Follow the relevant evidence page for its dates, definitions and source limitations.
For background on the government itself — how it took office, the cabinet, and what “Manchesterism” means — see the Burnham government page.