The boss of Marks & Spencer has urged John Healey to reverse ‘the mistakes of the last two Budgets’ to get Britain growing again.

In a landmark intervention, Stuart Machin branded Labour’s previous efforts ‘disasters’ and ‘a crushing disappointment for customers, colleagues and businesses’.

Writing in the Daily Mail, he says the new Chancellor must ‘restore hope’ within industry and ‘get Britain growing by taking the handcuffs off business and putting money back in people’s pockets’.

The damning assessment from one of the country’s top chief executives will set alarm bells ringing in Downing Street less than three weeks before the first Budget of Andy Burnham’s premiership.

Mr Machin was backed by other prominent figures as he warned rising taxes and other costs had pushed up the cost of doing business – which in turn has led to higher prices.

The man who dresses and feeds middle England and beyond highlighted the ‘disastrous’ National Insurance tax raid on employers as well as the threat to Saturday jobs posed by Angela Rayner’s new rights for workers.

Mr Machin also attacked ‘patently ridiculous’ new recycling rules, a £2billion packaging tax, and the broken business rates system.

Other business leaders told the Mail that Britain needed ‘a job–creation Budget’ following Rachel Reeves’ ‘smash–and–grab raid’ on enterprise.

The former chancellor, who was sacked by Mr Burnham, announced £75billion of tax rises in just two years at the Treasury – hammering households and businesses and leaving the economy on its knees.

City grandee Sir Martin Sorrell said ‘we need real growth policies as opposed to statements about the importance of growth’.

He took a swipe at the Prime Minister’s use of social media to drum up support, saying: ‘Andy Burnham has said he is going to take the tough decisions and there are plenty of TikTok videos saying he is going to take them. We will see on October 28 if he does.’

The comments echo those of former Bank of England chief economist Andy Haldane, a one–time adviser to Mr Burnham, who last month said the PM was running what looks like ‘a traditional tax–and–spend socialist government with better TikTok videos’.

Sir Martin also warned a ‘political and social dislike of wealth creation’ was driving top taxpayers out of Britain after analysis showed billionaires with £120billion to their names had fled since Labour came to power.

Read More: M&S boss tells Healey: Take the handcuffs off business and get Britain growing