New UK PM Burnham's cabinet arrives for first meeting

Andy Burnham gathered his new cabinet Tuesday as he got down to work on his first full day as Britain's prime minister, unveiling an energy tax cut aimed at easing cost-of-living pressures.

A day after replacing Keir Starmer in Downing Street, Burnham announced he was cutting value-added tax (VAT) on consumer electricity bills. From October 1, electricity bills will be VAT free, saving an average household around £45 a year, the government said in a statement.

The move will cost the government about £850 million in the current UK financial year. It said the tax cut would be funded by cancelling Starmer's plan for a digital ID scheme that would have cost the taxpayer £1.8 billion.