Britain · updated 2h ago · 3 min read
Andy Burnham Tells Labour Conference Liverpool Brexit Has Done More Damage Than Good
Brexit caused significant damage; Burnham pledges a new UK–EU relationship. Announces expansion of public services, housing reforms, and a national care service.
Whether triple-lock changes fund the care service.
9 of 10 outlets skipped it: burnham promises a leasehold reform bill before Christmas.
The New York Times was read line by line by the Watchdog: 6.2. See the score →
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Al Jazeera
“Social reforms This year’s Labour Party conference brought together legislators and party members alongside trade unions and businesses in one place.”Read the original ↗
The BBC emphasises funding care reforms via the pension triple lock, while Al Jazeera largely omits the specific funding mechanism.
Burnham’s new course
Andy Burnham told delegates at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool that Brexit "has done more damage than good" and that he would use an upcoming summit between London and Brussels to present options for the United Kingdom’s long-term relationship with the European Union.
Andy Burnham said the United Kingdom has been on the wrong track for a long time, listing "deindustrialization, deregulation, privatization, austerity, Brexit," and promising to "break with the direction of the last 40 years".
Andy Burnham also promised legislation on water that would repeal the ban on public ownership of water companies, and he announced the creation of Great British Grid as a new state-backed body connected to Great British Energy.
Andy Burnham tied his social care announcements to his family history, recalling his father Roy’s final months and telling caregivers, "You are not invisible to me. I see you, I thank you, and I regret that my profession has let you down for so long."
Andy Burnham then announced the creation of a National Care Service that would begin with home care, with no direct charges to users when they receive care, and based on the principle that "everyone contributes and everyone is covered."
Pensions and funding fights
Andy Burnham set out a plan to end the existing state pension triple lock from 2030 to help fund a new national care service, and he said the change would generate "significant savings". Andy Burnham said the state pension would continue to rise every year at least by prices or 2.5%, while removing the automatic annual link with average earnings, and he argued that older people with only the state pension could otherwise face care charges. Andy Burnham accepted he may "pay a political price" for the reforms, and he told the conference that "someone has to go through the pain barrier and rip the plaster off."
Kemi Badenoch said "more tax rises are inevitable" under Labour’s plan, while Nigel Farage accused the PM of "launching an offensive against our elderly". Sharon Graham told the BBC she believed the government should have "pulled another lever," such as a wealth tax, rather than making changes to the triple lock.
Electoral reform commission
Andy Burnham announced a national commission on electoral reform and invited all political parties to take part in its work. Andy Burnham said Labour would contest the next election with a manifesto commitment to change the electoral system, so that "everyone’s vote counts and everyone’s voice is heard." Andy Burnham warned that under the current first past the post system a "divisive movement" could enter government on "less than 30% of the vote," and he said, "We shouldn’t do that, conference."
Andy Burnham said the next election is due in 2029, and he said he would invite all political parties to take part in the commission’s work and seek cross-party backing for reforms. Andy Burnham argued that the current system was divisive because it meant a party could find themselves in government with 30% of the vote or less, and he said he wanted to underpin his plan for Britain with a new politics.