'Poorer than we think!' Darren Jones warns Andy Burnham against public spending as path to wealth

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The Prime Minister's 'sugar rush of short-term announcements' could be rendered 'meaningless' without a strong long-term plan, the former minister warned

Darren Jones has warned against increasing public spending as a path to making the country "great again".

The former Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister under Sir Keir Starmer said Britain is "poorer than we often think" as he said higher public spending alone would not lead to economic growth.

Mr Jones was sacked from Labour's frontbench when Andy Burnham entered No 10.

He had been talked up as a contender to lead the party, but declined to stand, saying a contest would not give the eventual winner enough time to prepare an autumn budget.

Writing for the Times, the MP for Bristol North West said: "Britain is poorer than we often think. We won’t get richer based on higher public spending alone, and we can’t tax billionaires who don’t live here.

"We shouldn't rely on public spending as a route to some romantic version of making Britain great again as we look in the rearview mirror for a great history that is no longer available to us.

"We must face the future, and I know my colleagues are up to the challenge."

Mr Jones dealt an early blow to the Prime Minister after he scrapped Sir Keir's much-maligned digital ID scheme and said funds from the project would be used for widespread cuts to VAT on energy bills.

The sacked Sir Keir ally revealed that the digital ID scheme itself was unfunded and the Cabinet Office had been asking departments to find the money within existig budgets.

His latest warning shot comes as Andy Burnham is set to face Parliament for the first time after the summer recess.

Mr Jones said the country was now facing an inflection point on three issues: climate change, artificial intelligence and defence capability.

He said Mr Burnham's 10-year plan, to be published in November, must rise to the challenge or the "sugar rush of short-term announcements will be meaningless".

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In order to create a "dynamic, thriving market" the Government must get ahead of artificial intelligence and its effects on the services-dominated economy, he said.

"Politically, we shouldn't see conflict between growth and fairness, or business and workers, or the market and the state. These are false choices," he said.

A new backbench caucus dedicated to scrutinising the Government's fiscal prudence will also be started by the sacked former minister.

Labour under the Makerfield MP - particularly Chancellor John Healey - have insisted that "fiscal credibility" is core to their party.

Mr Burnham in his address to the Commons will argue for stronger public control over the country's services.

His first parliamentary appearance comes as Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch shuffles her Shadow Cabinet, moving Andrew Griffith to the role of Shadow Chancellor.

The Tories have been keen to stress Mr Griffith's extensive private sector experience - he worked as a chief operating officer at Sky and chairman of Just Eat.

He has promised a Government which would deliver "lower, simpler taxes, get Britain drilling again to bring down energy costs, slash the red tape holding Britain back, and scrap the job-killing measures in Labour's (Un)Employment Rights Act".