Video Duration 02 minutes 25 seconds02:25
UK Labour conference tests Andy Burnham’s popularity against economic reality
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised to put the United Kingdom on a new path of equitable growth during his first Labour conference speech as leader of the country and party.
Covering a range of topics including healthcare, pensions, electoral reforms, affordable housing and publicly-owned utilities, Burnham on Tuesday said it was time for the UK to opt for drastic change and reject a slow and painful demise.
“Britain has been on the wrong path for a long time,” Burnham told delegates, adding that he was “ready to do things my predecessors wouldn’t”.
“I will make a break with the direction of the past 40 years and put Britain on a new path, build a new economy and a new politics. That is the case I make to you today,” he said.
Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer as the UK prime minister in July, said there was a “sense of the powers-that-be pulling against the people, not with them”.
“More of the same isn’t good enough,” said the former mayor of Manchester, where the party conference was held. He added that it was time “to break the mould today”.
This year’s Labour Party conference brought together legislators and party members alongside trade unions and businesses in one place.
“This country isn’t where any of us would want it to be,” Burnham said.
Much of Burnham’s speech addressed the need for social reforms with a focus on caregivers and healthcare, including building a “National Care Service … free at the point of use”.
He said it will be “a person-centred, high-quality” service where “everyone contributes and everyone is covered” and care “is about people not profit”, does not erode savings and gives “proper recognition” to care workers.
There was also talk of adjusting the so-called “pension triple lock” that sets state pension rises. He said changes will be made by April 2030, after the next general election.
Burnham said low-income pensioners would not pay income tax in the current Parliament. The planned changes meant pensioners would receive annual rises to their state pension without additional care charges, “so that pensioners will always share in the rising prosperity of the nation”.
He also spoke on the need to make housing more affordable, confirming his party’s intention to make it easy for young people to own a home by reducing the deposit needed to buy property.
There was also mention of returning control of utilities, such as water and electricity, back to the public, by scrapping “[former Prime Minister] Margaret Thatcher’s ideological ban on public ownership of water companies”.
On electricity, Burnham announced a new publicly-owned “Great British Grid” that will “challenge the private sector operators” to “increase competition, drive down costs and speed up delivery”, and make it easier to connect to the electricity grid.
Russia, Iran ‘threats’
Burnham’s speech also focused on foreign policy issues, saying he will “stand up to” Russian and Iranian “threats”.
“I will be steadfast in my support for Ukraine and stand up to threats wherever they come from, whether Russia, Iran, or anywhere,” he said.
On Israel, the occupied West Bank and Gaza, Burnham praised his foreign secretary’s approach, since assuming office in July.
“We will be principled in our leadership in securing a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, as [Foreign Secretary] Ed Miliband has done,” he said.
Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic, who was listening to the British prime minister at the conference, said Burnham’s speech was laced with “a lot of fiery rhetoric”.
“Britain finds itself in a very dire position when it comes to finances,” said Veselinovic, adding that there is immense pressure on Burnham’s new government as it prepares to introduce its first budget at the end of October.
The UK annual consumer price inflation (CPI) reached 3.1 percent in the 12 months to August, ticking up from 2.9 percent in July, according to the Office of National Statistics.
Veselinovic said Burnham is aware he may have to “pay a political price for all the reforms he’s promising”, but that he also understands, “somebody has to rip out the plaster on that because the costs are too high”.
‘Remarkable speech’
Danny Sriskandarajah, the chief executive officer of New Economics Foundation, said Burnham delivered “a remarkable speech”.
“Andy Burnham has this knack to be able to come across as authentic, as genuine,” Sriskandarajah told Al Jazeera.
Burnham, Sriskandarajah said, “was tearful at moments”.
“He was honest about what challenges Britain faces. But he also generates a sense of hope which I think is much needed,” he said.
Sriskandarajah said the challenge for Burnham will be to fund the promises he made in the speech.
“All of these things that he wants to do will cost money, which means they’ll have to raise those re
