Overview

• Sacha Lord, a close ally of Andy Burnham and former donor, says he will skip Labour’s Liverpool conference for the first time since joining the party in 2022.
• He labels Rachel Reeves’ 2024 Budget a disaster for hospitality, alleging more than 110,000 job losses and widespread closures across pubs, restaurants, hotels and bars.
• He predicts many Labour councillors will lose their seats in May due to what he calls poor decisions from the top, criticising a London‑centric cabinet and a National Insurance rise as reckless.
• His intervention lands as Labour grapples with recent setbacks including Angela Rayner’s resignation, the Lord Mandelson ambassadorial U‑turn, and weak polling reported by The Independent.
• A Labour spokesperson defends the government’s economic record, citing stabilisation efforts, wages rising faster than prices, five interest‑rate cuts, three trade deals, and over 500,000 more people in work since taking office.