Kemi Badenoch today challenged Andy Burnham to rule out tax rises to pay for his spending spree.

The Tory leader condemned the new Prime Minister for floating a 'new expensive idea' on a daily basis, as she warned of a looming bill for taxpayers.

She suggested Mr Burnham was a people pleaser who 'just wants to make people happy' and compared him to ex-Tory PM Liz Truss, who lasted just 44 days in power.

Mrs Badenoch said Mr Burnham risked making the same error as Ms Truss, who set out expensive spending commitments but without saying how they would be paid for.

Since formally becoming PM on Monday, Mr Burnham has announced a slew of policy measures aimed at easing the cost of living.

This includes a VAT cut on electricity bills, a cap on bus fares, and a slashing of business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues.

But there have been questions about how Mr Burnham and new Chancellor John Healey will pay for the measures, despite them insisting they are 'fully funded'.

Kemi Badenoch challenged Andy Burnham to rule out tax rises to pay for his spending spree

The Tory leader condemned the new PM for floating a 'new expensive idea' on a daily basis, as she warned of a looming bill for taxpayers

Mrs Badenoch suggested Mr Burnham was a people pleaser who 'just wants to make people happy' and compared him to ex-Tory PM Liz Truss , who lasted just 44 days in power.

In a speech in central London on Thursday, Mrs Badenoch warned Mr Burnham is planning an even more costly spending splurge.

'Every day, Andy Burnham seems to float a new expensive idea,' the Tory leader said.

'A national care service that costs £18billion, building as many council houses as the 1970s costing £13billion.

'On Monday, he said he was thinking about increasing the personal allowance, on Tuesday he was against it, on Wednesday he was for it again.

'Does anyone know what he's thinking today? Because I don't. He doesn't actually know what he wants to do, he's thinking out loud.

'All we know is that it's going to cost a lot of money. So I want to be very clear: Andy Burnham needs to rule out tax rises to pay for his spending spree.'

Mrs Badenoch told Mr Burnham that he risked repeating the 'mistakes' of Rachel Reeves, who he sacked as Chancellor on Monday, if he hikes levies again.

'Rachel Reeves raised taxes and we saw what happened after that; employers stopped hiring and jobs were lost,' she added.

'Andy Burnham will repeat Rachel Reeves' mistakes if he raises taxes again. We all know what he will say, he will pretend he is only taxing the rich.

'The truth is he will punish the engineer whose factory is never built, punish the apprentice whose job never exists, punish the family whose bills rise yet again.

'This is what Labour never understands; money needs to be made before it can be spent. Businesses are not cash machines for politicians.'

Taking questions after her speech, Mrs Badenoch was asked if Mr Burnham risked becoming 'Labour's Liz Truss'.

'I did allude in my speech to a Budget four years ago that didn't go very well,' she replied.

'There were other factors, but the main factor was that the Budget was not balanced - spending without funding.

'Liz Truss wanted to pay £150billion of energy bills, but hadn't said where the savings would come from.

'It's time for Andy Burnham to start talking about where he will find the savings. This is what we need; we need common sense, we need a plan.

'We have a golden economic rule, we've explained where our savings would come from and we are finding more.

'Andy Burnham just wants to make people happy so he's talking about clubbing and going to the pub and cheaper bus fares.

'But he's not the mayor of Manchester, these are mayor of Manchester ideas. Where is our Prime Minister? He needs to step up and lift his sights to broader things.'

Responding to Mrs Badenoch's comments, a Labour Party spokesperson said: 'Andy Burnham is bringing back hope after Kemi Badenoch's Tory Party nearly broke Britain.

'More of the same failed Tory politics that let people down for years is a recipe for disaster and will only hold Britain back.

'In just his first days as PM, Andy Burnham has taken immediate action to give families breathing space to help with the cost of living, by cutting tax on electricity bills and capping bus fares at £2, as well as slashing business rates for pubs, clubs and live music venues.

'But this is just the start. The economy-crashing Tories haven't got a clue.'