Peter Kyle urges Burnham to act with greater urgency on growth

Former UK business secretary Peter Kyle has urged Andy Burnham’s government to make economic growth a more urgent priority, suggesting ministers consider delaying some workers’ rights reforms. [1]

In an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg, reported on 26 September 2026, Kyle said the government was not sufficiently focused on growth. He presented his remarks as an appeal to realise its potential rather than as criticism.

“I think we need to up our ambition, I think that we need to act with more urgency when it comes to economic growth,” he said. [1]

Kyle suggested talks with unions about the order and timing of employment reforms, arguing that the government should be willing to accept short-term pain to support growth.

“We might need to look and have honest conversations with unions about how we sequence some of the rights going forward in order to make sure that we get growth into the economy in the shorter term,” he said.

He did not name particular rights or set out a revised timetable. The Employment Rights Act passed in December 2025, with some changes not scheduled to take effect until 2027. [1]

Kyle also proposed a “tax growth test” to assess each tax’s impact on the economy, alongside a review by government experts of obstacles to growth. [1]

The intervention came two months after Burnham dismissed Kyle in the reshuffle on taking office. Kyle, who served as science secretary and then business secretary under Keir Starmer, is now the backbench MP for Hove and Portslade. [1]

Burnham has previously set out a growth strategy centred on devolving power, drawing on his experience as Greater Manchester mayor. He has argued that giving regions and nations greater control would create the conditions for “good growth in every postcode”. [1]