Andy Burnham speech: National Care Service, pensions tweak and a way to re-nationalise water
The Prime Minister has been speaking at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool
Last updated 8 hours ago
Andy Burnham has announced a new National Care Service and changes to the pensions triple lock in his first Labour conference speech as party leader and Prime Minister.
Speaking to delegates in Liverpool, he described the care service, which would be "free at the point of use", as "a landmark policy – as significant as the creation of the NHS itself".
Mr Burnham said the service would start in the home and be one "where everyone contributes and everyone is covered", with no care charges paid out of the basic state pension.
To help fund it, the Prime Minister said the Government would adjust the triple lock on pensions from April 2030.
Pensions would then rise each year by at least CPI inflation or 2.5%, holding their value "relative" to earnings "over time", in a move he said would generate "significant savings".
He said he would honour a manifesto promise to keep the triple lock unchanged for the rest of this Parliament first, taking the state pension to a record high, and that low-income pensioners would no longer have to pay income tax during this Parliament.
"I won't pretend some of this won't be difficult," Mr Burnham said.
"I accept I may pay a political price. But someone has to go through the pain barrier and rip the plaster off."
An emotional moment for Burnham as he talked about the care system
Mr Burnham, who replaced Sir Keir Starmer in Number 10 in July, paid tribute to his father Roy, who was in a care home before his death, and apologised to care workers, at times becoming visibly emotional.
"I want to speak directly today to our care workers – you are not invisible to me," he said.
"I see you, I thank you and I am sorry that my profession has let down yours for so long."
The Prime Minister also announced plans to pave the way for public ownership of water companies through a strengthened Water Bill, to be presented to Parliament by Environment Secretary Angela Eagle.
He described water as "a symbol of what has gone wrong with Britain", saying its centrepiece would be the repeal of Margaret Thatcher's "ideological ban" on public ownership, starting a 10-year journey to a "very different water system".
What the Prime Minister said in his party conference speech:
National Care Service: He said a creating a new National Care Service "free at the point of use" would be "a landmark policy – as significant as the creation of the NHS itself", promising "a person-centred, high-quality care service that starts in the home" where "everyone contributes and everyone is covered". Recalling his grandmother Kitty's engagement ring being "ripped from her finger and stolen in a care home", he apologised directly to care workers: "I see you, I thank you and I am sorry that my profession has let down yours for so long."
Pensions and social care: He said the Government would adjust the triple lock on pensions from April 2030 to help pay for his social care plans, with pensions rising each year by at least CPI inflation or 2.5% and holding their value "relative" to earnings "over time". He said the change would generate "significant savings" to build up a National Care Service, and that low-income pensioners would no longer have to pay income tax during this Parliament. Paying tribute to his father Roy, who was in a care home before his death, he said: "Someone has to go through the pain barrier and rip the plaster off."
Water: He said the Government would pave the way for public ownership through a strengthened Water Bill, to be presented to Parliament by Environment Secretary Angela Eagle. He described water as "a symbol of what has gone wrong with Britain" and said the Bill's centrepiece would be the repeal of Margaret Thatcher's "ideological ban" on public ownership, starting a 10-year journey to a "very different water system" with tougher consequences for firms that repeatedly fail and the closing of loopholes used to pay excessive bonuses.
Cost of living: He said he had to be "honest" about what the country can afford, promising a new "social contract" for the 21st century modelled on the 1945 Beveridge Report. He said he would stick to the Government's fiscal rules to bring borrowing and debt down, and pointed to taking VAT off electricity bills from the start of October and cutting the bus fare cap to £2 to ease pressure on household budgets.
Energy: He said a new publicly-owned Great British Grid would drive down costs by challenging private sector operators, increasing competition and speeding up connections. He said the UK would have a national energy plan for the first time, with stronger powers for mayors and local leaders, and that he would be "pragmatic" over North Sea oil and gas amid looming decisions on the Jackdaw and Rosebank fields.
Electoral reform: He announced a new "national commission" on electoral reform, inviting all political parties to take part, and 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". Noting he was "the seventh Prime Minister in 10 years", he said: "We can't succeed in the eyes of the world if we continue with the levels of political turbulence we have seen in recent times."
Housing: He said councils would be given the power to take over empty homes and bring them back into public stock. Landlords who rent out the worst quality homes would be given warnings to improve them, and if they refused, councils would find it easier to acquire those homes, with legislation if necessary. "We don't let people sell food which damages health, so why allow it with homes?" he said.