If Burnham wants growth, he must start by backing AI and Tech founders and risk-takers, says Liam Houghton

Mace | 23rd July 2026 | Comment, Politics

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has an opportunity to make Britain the best place to start and scale a business, argues CEO Liam Houghton.

Ten years. Seven Prime Ministers. Multiple agendas. That’s too many, if you ask me. Running a business is already hard in itself, but having to navigate continuous policy change on top of it isn’t helping. Successive governments have made it difficult for founders to take risks, scale companies and even stay in the country. A 2025 survey showed that nearly half of fintech founders have considered relocating their business outside of the UK. If Britain wants to retain its position as a competitive tech ecosystem, that needs to change. 

“Ten years, seven Prime Ministers, multiple agendas”

New Prime Minister Andy Burnham has an opportunity to fix this by making Britain the best place to start and scale a business. Here are the areas he should focus on. 

Rewarding job creation 

Every politician talks about growth. Far fewer make it cheaper to create it. For Andy Burnham to deliver on the Government’s mission of bringing “good growth in every postcode,” he needs to make it genuinely worthwhile for businesses to hire. That means reducing the cost of employment through payroll tax credits and targeted National Insurance relief for scaling companies, so that expanding a team becomes an easier decision rather than a financial risk. 

France offers a useful model here: its tax credit on research expenditure lets startups that spend at least 15% of their total fiscal costs on R&D claim …

Subscribe to The Mace

Join the member community shaping British politics and stay ahead of what's really happening in the world of politics and public affairs, with expert analysis, breaking news, and insider insights from Westminster and Brussels. The Mace is the leading news source and resource for the government affairs industry, offering required reading and lobby intelligence for professionals.

To see what you are missing out on by not subscribing to The Mace, click here to download our full membership info-pack. This includes having no paywall on op-ed content or profiles/interviews, allowing professional profiles to be read with maximum impact and visibility by government, special advisers, MPs, peers, civil servants, and policy and political decision-makers.



Carry on, Clacton

William Cash | August 18, 2026

Wiliam Cash reflects on how the myth of Clacton and its reality has created media distortion when it comes to reporting on Farage’s seaside spiritual HQ.

The Clacton by-election: “It has been amazing for business” 

Ella Beadman and Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | August 10, 2026

Ahead of the Clacton-on-Sea by-election this Thursday, Mace went to the constituency to hear what local businesses make of the media circus that has descended on the seaside town, and the changes they want

Burnham is trying to fix Whitehall, but will the political machinery change?

Mace | August 7, 2026

Andy Burnham is shaking up government with more changes than by any incoming prime minister in memory. But, asks Sir Bernard Jenkin MP, does he understand why the

Racing the sunset: a pilgrim odyssey across a dying Europe

Mace | August 4, 2026

For 10 months, ex-army officer James Jeffrey trekked 3500 km across Europe by foot. The scale of migration he witnessed may not have been as dramatic as the

Leader in Public Affairs: Grace Pritchard, Downing Street Director of News and the Prime Minister’s Political Spokesperson

Mace | August 3, 2026

After heading the Makerfield by-election comms team, Grace Pritchard was singled out by Andy Burnham as being a key part of his northern campaign team. The self-styled 'Yorkshire

Dame Antonia’s key civil service reforms are ready to be supported by Whitehall, says Jonathan Freeman

Mace | August 1, 2026

The Civil Service is ready to support Dame Antonia Romeo's flagship changes to government machinery - notably relating to AI and devolution - under new prime minister Andy

Experts warn more government support needed to help UK aviation meet net zero by 2050

Mace | July 30, 2026

UK aviation can decarbonise while meeting growth ambitions, but urgent government action is needed to prevent costs increasing for passengers and the sector losing its competitive edge.

Don’t rule out an early election as Burnham may see an opportunity to kick Reform, says Fred de Fossard

Fred de Fossard | July 28, 2026

With the new Prime minister championing policies which go beyond Labour’s very confined 2024 manifesto, an early election is not illogical.

Despite promises of radical change, Labour’s culture of ruling political families remains entrenched

Lucy Carrier-Pilkington | July 28, 2026

Andy Burnham's inner circle appears to perpetuate Labour's long-running culture of nepotism, and is doomed to cause frustration among backbenchers.

Kemi’s true blue purge, with help from Sir Philip May

William Cash | July 26, 2026

The news that former Home Secretary Sir Grant Shapps has failed to make the new Tory candidate list has put fear into dozens of former Conservative MPs. Whether