UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has unveiled a package of consumer protections targeting rogue bailiffs and unscrupulous tradespeople, framing the measures as part of a broader effort to ease the cost of living and make Britain fairer. Under the new rules, private bailiffs in England and Wales — where more than seven million enforcement cases are handled annually — will be required to be accredited by the Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB), the industry oversight body, in order to obtain or renew their operating certificates. The move comes after years of criticism from consumer advocates, including personal finance campaigner Martin Lewis, who called the absence of a mandatory independent regulator "outrageous." Separately, a government-backed "Approved Code" scheme will launch by the end of September to help homeowners identify trusted builders and traders, alongside a new app-based service called Trusted Payments that will allow consumers to release funds to contractors in staged instalments tied to project milestones.