UK PM Johnson vows to lower tax burden and household costs

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that he would bring the tax burden down after it rose during the COVID-19 crisis, adding he would also enact supply-side reforms to cut costs for households, businesses and government.

"The overall burden of taxation is now very high. And sooner or later — and I would much rather it was sooner than later — that burden must come down," Johnson said in a speech delivered in north-west England.

"Over the next few weeks, this government will be setting out reforms to help people cut costs in every area of household expenditure, from food, to energy, to childcare, to transport and housing."

(Reporting by William James and Alistair Smout; Editing by William Schomberg)