Government Should Crack Down on Rip-Off Business Practices to Ease Cost of Living
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/andy-burnham. "Subscriptions you can’t easily cancel, sales that aren’t sales – I’ll end the rip-offs that British people hate | Andy Burnham | The Guardian." August 9, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
Andy Burnham argues that small everyday rip-offs—like fake sales and subscriptions that are hard to cancel—add up to real financial harm and make people lose faith in the system. He says his government will fix these problems through new rules, like requiring genuine discounts and easier subscription cancellations, to save people money and restore hope in politics.
Conclusion
The government should actively intervene to end everyday consumer rip-offs (fake sales, hard-to-cancel subscriptions) because doing so will ease financial pressure and restore public trust in politics.
Premises
- Everyday hassles like phoney sales and hard-to-cancel subscriptions affect millions of people and add up to significant financial cost.
- The cost of living crisis means every unnecessary cost matters and government should use every available lever to help.
- UK consumers spend an estimated £1.6bn a year on unwanted subscriptions they struggle to cancel, representing a direct, quantifiable harm to family budgets.
- Fixing these small everyday injustices will save people money (e.g., an average of £14 a month per unwanted subscription).
- Beyond financial cost, these rip-offs erode public hope and trust, sending a message that 'the country is built to catch people out rather than help them get on.'
- Government has previously dismissed these issues as unavoidable 'bad luck,' but this passive stance is wrong and can be changed through policy action.
- Concrete regulatory fixes (mandating true discounts, easy cancellation, and renewal notifications) are practical and achievable steps government can take now.
Assumptions
- Government regulation is an effective and appropriate tool for addressing consumer protection issues.
- Businesses are engaging in deliberate 'rip-off' practices rather than facing legitimate structural constraints.
- The proposed fixes (subscription rules, sale transparency) will be enforceable and effective without significant unintended consequences.
- Restoring trust in politics is achievable through visible, tangible policy wins rather than only large-scale structural reform.
- The financial and emotional toll of these hassles is significant enough to warrant prioritized government action over other pressing issues.