Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, has said "big decisions" lie ahead on reforming council tax, arguing the current system is unfair because residents in his region often pay more than owners of far larger homes in London. His comments, made to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, come as Downing Street denies it is considering scrapping council tax and stamp duty in favour of a new property or land-value tax, though the Prime Minister acknowledged concerns about the system's imbalance and praised former Chancellor Rachel Reeves for starting reform efforts.

Burnham said he had been "persuaded" of the case for change but stressed any reform must honour Labour's election manifesto. Campaigners cite figures suggesting a flat-rate charge could save Hartlepool households around £950 a year, while Labour MP Jonathan Brash noted band A homes in Hartlepool pay nearly 2.5 times more than in Westminster. The Conservatives, via shadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly, accused Labour of seeking new ways to "tax middle England" and said they would instead scrap stamp duty on primary residences.