Andy Burnham has announced measures to ban fake discounts and make cancelling unwanted subscriptions easier, as part of a push to tackle so-called “rip-off” business practices affecting UK consumers. Commentators argue further quick fixes, including tackling hidden ticket booking fees and shrinkflation, could deliver additional relief without requiring major structural economic reform.
What has Burnham actually announced?
The prime minister’s new measures target two specific consumer frustrations: retailers advertising discounts that are not genuine reductions, and subscription services that make it deliberately difficult for customers to cancel. Both are being framed as “everyday fixes” — practical, relatively low-cost interventions designed to remove day-to-day annoyances from household budgets rather than reshape the broader economy.
Why might these measures not be enough on their own?
Because, on their own, banning fake discounts and easing subscription cancellations are unlikely to move the needle much on household finances compared with bigger structural levers such as raising mandatory pension contributions or introducing rent caps. Analysts note that while such day-to-day fixes are popular and visible, the amounts saved per household are modest next to the potential impact of pension or housing policy reform.
These are the kind of quick wins that make life a little easier, even if they won’t transform anyone’s bank balance overnight, one consumer commentator observed.
What other cost-of-living fixes are being floated?
Beyond the two confirmed measures, commentators have pointed to six further areas where government intervention could ease pressure on household budgets. Among the most frequently cited are excessive and often opaque ticket booking fees charged by event and travel platforms, and “shrinkflation” — the practice of manufacturers quietly reducing product sizes or quantities while keeping prices the same or raising them. Both practices have drawn sustained criticism from consumer groups for eroding household spending power in ways that are difficult for shoppers to detect or challenge.
Other suggested areas for reform touch on subscription pricing transparency, loyalty scheme terms, and additional protections around cancellation rights, extending the logic of Burnham’s existing announcement to a wider range of everyday transactions. Advocates argue that tackling these issues collectively, alongside larger structural reforms such as pension contribution changes or rental market caps, would offer a more comprehensive response to the ongoing squeeze on living standards.
