Andy Burnham has pledged to ban misleading discount practices if he becomes Labour Party Prime Minister, aiming to assist households struggling with the cost of living. According to reports in The Guardian, this crackdown marks the “first” of several planned “everyday fixes” to be introduced in the coming months.
Mr Burnham, the Member of Parliament for Makerfield, acknowledged that not all frustrations could be resolved immediately but emphasised the government’s commitment to helping people save money and improve daily experiences. He said, “We won’t be able to solve every frustration overnight. But where the government can save people money, remove an unnecessary obstacle or simply make something work better, we should and we will.”
Central to his proposals is banning retailers from employing deceptive pricing tactics such as fake “was” prices, invented discounts, and misleading recommended retail prices. Mr Burnham stated, “If something is advertised as half price, it should actually be half price. We’ll make sure that when families snatch a deal, they can be confident they’re actually saving. That’s the least they deserve when budgets are so tight.”
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Helen Undy OBE, Chief Executive Officer of the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, welcomed the announcement, highlighting the particular challenges misleading discounts pose for individuals with mental health difficulties. She explained, “It can be hard for anyone to spot a misleading discount, but this is particularly difficult for people with mental health problems who can struggle with concentration, impulsivity and decision-making, which can make it harder to resist pressure selling tactics and compare prices to get a fair deal.”
Undy noted that people with mental health problems are disproportionately affected by the cost of living crisis, being three times more likely to fall behind on household bills. She added, “It’s good news that the government is taking action to help tight budgets go further, and it’s important that it happens quickly.”
She also welcomed plans to introduce stronger protections against subscription traps, referencing how symptoms of mental health issues such as impulsivity and memory problems can lead to unintentional sign-ups. “We’ve long argued that it should be as easy to cancel a subscription as it is to sign up - and as ever the proof will be in how companies put this into practice,” Undy said.
While acknowledging today’s announcement as positive, she cautioned that subscription traps and misleading discounts represent only a small fraction of the unfair practices impacting those managing mental health crises. She concluded, “We look forward to working with the government to see what further action can be taken in future.”