UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Major Public Services Expansion at Labour Conference

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 in Liverpool, 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, stated there was a “sense of the powers-that-be pulling against the people, not with them”.

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. There was also talk of adjusting the “pension triple lock” by April 2030, and ensuring low-income pensioners would not pay income tax in the current Parliament.

On housing, Burnham confirmed his intention to make it easy for young people to own a home by reducing the deposit needed. He also announced plans to return control of utilities, such as water and electricity, back to the public by scrapping Margaret Thatcher’s ideological ban, and creating a new publicly-owned “Great British Grid” to increase competition and drive down costs.

Addressing foreign policy, Burnham vowed to stand up to Russian and Iranian threats, expressed steadfast support for Ukraine, and praised Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband's approach to securing a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.

Al Jazeera’s Milena Veselinovic noted that the speech featured fiery rhetoric as the government prepares to introduce its first budget at the end of October amid high inflation. Meanwhile, New Economics Foundation CEO Danny Sriskandarajah praised the speech as remarkable and authentic, though he highlighted the ongoing challenge of funding these ambitious promises.