Andy Burnham has ruled out short-term cuts to the benefits budget as he hinted taxes would have to rise to pay for his lavish spending plans.

In his first broadcast interview since winning the Makerfield by-election, the prime minister-in-waiting ruled out ‘crude cuts’ to welfare.

Asked if he would stand by Labour‘s manifesto and its fiscal rules, he said yes but there is ‘some room within that manifesto for movement on tax’.

He told LBC’s Andrew Marr that he would tax warehouses more to enable him to cut rates for pubs, ‘bring life back to the High Street’ and help small businesses.

Defending himself against claims that he will raise taxes, he said he ‘not indisciplined’ when it came to the public finances and revealed that he had not yet chosen his future chancellor.

Asked about the hole in defence spending, Mr Burnham admitted he hadn’t had ‘all of the details’ about the costs following reports of up to a £15billion shortfall.

But he said the country had to ‘face up to it very seriously’ and that he would ‘take those responsibilities extremely seriously, no compromise on the security of the nation’.

The former mayor of Greater Manchester also said his generation of politicians had ‘failed’ as he said the country needed a ‘circuit breaker’.

He told LBC’s Andrew Marr that he would tax warehouses more to enable him to cut rates for pubs, ‘bring life back to the High Street’ and help small businesses

Asked about the hole in defence spending, Mr Burnham, pictured after his interview, admitted he hadn’t had ‘all of the details’ about the costs following reports of up to a £15billion shortfall

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Asked how he would tackle welfare spending, he said: ‘I’m not going to go with the crude cuts to benefit levels that then just put people who are struggling in even worse poverty, and that often creates the backlash, and understandably so.’

Instead, he said he would focus on reforming the education system, offering work placements to young people and building council homes to reduce the number of ‘neets’ – young people not in education, employment or training.

He admitted that his generation of politicians had ‘failed’ as he vowed to end the culture of political point scoring.

‘You can’t go around pointing fingers when you haven’t been good enough yourselves, and I would say that all politicians haven’t been good enough,’ he said.

‘My generation of politicians, I think, has failed in many ways in that the country isn’t where it should be right now. The country needs lifting up.’

Elsewhere, he said he would end the use of the whip to force MPs to fall into line and have different factions of the Labour party in his Cabinet.

He also vowed to work with other parties, repeated previous claims about nationalising utilities like water and energy and end ‘trickle down’ economics.

He vowed to base his ‘No 10 North’ at a new digital campus in Manchester Piccadilly and work from there.

Despite being regarded as the prime minister in waiting, Mr Burnham has kept a low profile since winning the Makerfield by-election.

He is widely expected to get the top job without having to go through a leadership contest and become prime minister as soon as July 20.

The former mayor gave a major speech earlier this week in which he refused to take questions from the media.

Burnham held a ‘Defence Management Plan’ in his hands

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He is yet to expand on any of his plans for government beyond saying he would set up a ‘No 10 North’ and further devolve power away from Whitehall.

Reporters were told beforehand that he wouldn’t be taking questions – a highly unusual move for a major political speech which prompted accusations that he was dodging scrutiny.

He also held a victory rally following his by-election win but was accused of running away from reporters who tried to ask him questions.

His last interview was with ITV and Channel 4 on June 9 nearly a month ago, though it was focused solely on his local campaign rather than the national picture.

As a result, it is not clear what the prospective prime minister’s plans for government look like.

This week, he tweeted in response to Kemi Badenoch who said Labour had ditched Sir Keir for a ‘pair of eyelashes and a black t-shirt’.

He also intervened on the case of the leader of the notorious Rochdale grooming gang Shabir Ahmed, 73, who was released from prison today.

He said that ‘nothing is off the table’ as he said he would ask senior ministers to ‘review all possible options’ after it emerged that the rapist could not be deported to Pakistan.

Speculation has raged about who he will appoint to his future cabinet, with suggestions that former health secretary Wes Streeting could become his chancellor.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has also been touted for the role, as has Shabana Mahmood – though more recent reports suggest she will stay in the Home Office.

Roles for other figures including former foreign secretary David Miliband, former transport secretary Lou Haigh and former housing minister Miatta Fahnbulleh are also possible.

However, there was a warning from MPs to Mr Burnham that he should not have more Milibands than women in top jobs.

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The programme is part of a two-year project between the National Trust and United Utilities, taking place across the Stubbins Estate in the Upper Irwell catchment, which lies directly below Holcombe Moor.

The project aims to slow the flow of rainwater from the hills into the River Irwell and its tributaries using natural flood management techniques.

Nik Taylor, area ranger at the National Trust, said: “The leaky dams form part of our wider work to mitigate climate change, reduce flooding, support farming and improve biodiversity and habitats across our moorland, farmland and woodland areas.

“Working in partnership with United Utilities, we’re sharing time and knowledge to make a difference for nature, downstream communities, businesses, tenant farmers and commoners.”

Four types of ‘leaky dams’ will be installed across moorland, farmland, and woodland areas to either hold back or slow rainwater.

This will reduce the volume flowing into the River Irwell and the sewer network during periods of heavy rainfall.

The dams are designed to encourage rainwater to soak into the ground or temporarily pool upstream.

This helps reduce the risk of flash flooding in nearby communities and eases pressure on sewer systems during storms.

The project also promises wider environmental benefits, including increased carbon capture, improved biodiversity and upland habitats, and greater resilience to wildfires.

Supported by the Environment Agency and Natural England, the scheme builds on earlier peatland restoration and flood management work at Holcombe Moor.

It is funded by United Utilities as part of its £280 million Rainwater Management Programme.

The programme combines nature-based solutions and smart engineering to create climate-resilient environments and reduce strain on sewage systems.

Marianne Ridley, insights manager for rainwater management at United Utilities, said: “These leaky dams will hold rainwater in the uplands for longer, allowing woodland and moorland to function more naturally like a sponge.

“Vitally, for us, slowing the flow of water reduces flood risk to the communities below and improves the resilience of United Utilities’ operational network.

“This project is a great example of the many benefits of working together and taking a whole-catchment approach.

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“We are excited to see how this will shape and drive future projects in upland catchments.”

Monitoring will be carried out before and after installation to assess the effectiveness of the dams.

The National Trust and United Utilities will be working with the University of Liverpool and the University of Manchester to track environmental changes over time.

With Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s celebrity wedding of the century fast approaching, guests are feeling the magnitude of the couple’s big day. 

‘Everybody’s feeling good, but I think everybody’s ready for it to be over,’ one source candidly admitted to the Daily Mail in an exclusive interview.

According to the well-placed insider, part of the nerves stem from loved ones not wanting to slip and share too much information with the public or press, as every little detail from the highly anticipated nuptials is under a microscope. 

‘Nobody wants to be the one to divulge plans and get in trouble, so they’re on edge about that,’ the source added, without detailing what those repercussions may be.

We’re told it’s become the norm for ‘everyone to go along’ with what Swift wants.

The bride and groom have made serious attempts to keep their guests’ lips sealed.

‘Nobody wants to be the one to divulge plans and get in trouble, so they’re on edge about that,’ the insider further explained. Friends and family, some seen here, had to sign NDAs

The Daily Mail was first to report back in April that the couple sent out nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) along with their save-the-dates, and guests had to sign it in order to receive the actual wedding invitation.

Although we were told at the time that it is unlikely either Swift or Kelce, both 36, would ever take legal action against their family or friends, our first insider said guests have taken the agreement very seriously.

‘The NDA was a lot and I think everyone is scared of [Swift’s team],’ the source said.

Fear is not the only thing keeping wedding guests’ mouths shut, though. 

We hear the couple’s loved ones genuinely don’t want to spoil the pop superstar and NFL pro’s big day and, because they care about them, they don’t want to let them down.

‘More than anything, everyone is appreciative of everything that she and her team do. They just don’t want to disappoint,’ the insider added.

Multiple sources have told the Daily Mail for months that Swift and Kelce are keeping their loved ones on a ‘need-to-know basis’ to prevent leaks.

We hear Donna, 73, ‘likes it that way,’ adding: ‘Basically everything is going to be easy for her.’

The Daily Mail reported Wednesday that Swift’s longtime stylist Joseph Cassell Falconer helped create custom outfits for family members.

It appears Swift wants total control over her wedding – and what gets released. 

As the Daily Mail previously reported, there are rumblings that the nuptials ‘will be recorded’ for a possible wider release. A source told us in March that the Grammy winner wants to be able to share these special moments with her loyal fans.  

A second insider told the Daily Mail that Kelce’s mom, Donna Kelce, was left in the dark about many of the details but ‘she likes it that way’

‘More than anything, everyone is appreciative of everything that she and her team does. They just don’t want to disappoint,’ the first source said

Aside from the NDA, we’re told other extreme measures have been taken to keep everything under wraps in the days leading up to Swift walking down the aisle.

Earlier this week, another source told us that everyone who enters the reported wedding reception venue, Madison Square Garden, has their phones taken away.

Now, the Daily Mail has exclusively learned that on-site security has gone a step further by having everyone in the area wear a tracker on their wrists.

‘When they give you a wristband, they take your picture and the wristbands could be tracked everywhere in the building,’ the source explained of how the added security measure apparently works.

‘They can see where you are; must have an RFID [radio-frequency identification] or something,’ they added.

As of now, it’s unclear whether Swift and Kelce’s celebrity guests and relatives will also be required to don the tracker on their wedding day, but we’re told currently it is for ‘everyone that’s checking in.’

Swift and Kelce are set to celebrate their nuptials at Madison Square Garden, where we hear that visitors are being tracked by devices on their wrists and photographed upon entering

Swift and Kelce got engaged last August after dating for more than two years

Despite going to great lengths to control what leaks, it has become a nearly impossible feat for a reported guest list of 1,000 attendees on Friday.

Several of the celebrity pals who made the cut have already been spotted arriving at the Big Apple, including British talk show host Graham Norton and Ed Sheeran.

In the months leading up to the big day – and particularly this week – every detail from the hour-to-hour schedule to the dress codes have become public knowledge.

Not only are Swift and Kelce’s guests feeling the pressure, but the bride herself has allegedly lost sleep in anticipation of what’s to come. 

‘Taylor can perform in front of tens of thousands of fans in a stadium and feel confident and not at all nervous. It’s her stage and she owns it. But I’ve never seen her like she is now. She has pre-wedding jitters,’ a fourth source told us on Tuesday.

‘She’s going through a totally new experience in her life and it’s got her ruffled.’

Kelce, meanwhile, is calm, cool and collected, according to Daily Mail’s first insider.

‘Everybody keeps saying that they’ve never seen him so happy,’ the source added, pointing out he’s in very good spirits and excited to marry Swift.

The Kansas City Chiefs tight end proposed to the chart-topping songstress last August after dating for more than two years.

Swift then announced the happy engagement with a cheeky caption on Instagram that read: ‘Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.’

The Daily Mail has contacted reps for Swift and Kelce for comment.