Ally says Burnham will seek "flexibility" in fiscal rules, suggesting he may deviate from the current UK fiscal path

A long-time ally of the frontrunner for the next British Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has indicated that the former Mayor of Greater Manchester will seek "flexibility" in government spending and borrowing rules. This statement suggests that Burnham may consider deviating from the current Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak's, proposed path. Richard Leese, who served as Deputy Mayor of Greater Manchester under Burnham, said in an interview on Wednesday: "I think he may seek greater flexibility in the way fiscal rules are applied to ensure that we can drive economic growth. If the economy does not grow, the constraints that fiscal rules impose on the government's ability to govern will become increasingly burdensome."