Burnham pledges care reform, electoral commission and pension changes

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the Labour Party conference in Liverpool that Britain has been on the wrong path for 40 years, citing deindustrialisation, deregulation and privatisation. He pledged a "new social contract for the 21st century" centred on a National Care Service, free at the point of use and funded through taxation.

To help finance the care service, Burnham said the state pension triple lock would be "adjusted" from 2030, watering down the guarantee that pensions rise by inflation, wage growth or 2.5 per cent. He acknowledged the move carries political risk, saying he may pay a price but someone must "rip the plaster off".

“I accept I may pay a political price. But someone has to go through the pain barrier and rip the plaster off.”

Burnham announced a national commission on electoral reform and invited all parties to participate, with the aim of including reform in the next manifesto. He also pledged to repeal Margaret Thatcher's legislation blocking public ownership of water companies, though he stopped short of announcing full nationalisation.

The Prime Minister promised to give councils powers to bring empty homes back into use and reform the rental sector. He also confirmed that VAT on household electricity bills will be removed starting next month, an announcement first made in July.

Burnham framed his agenda as a break from the Thatcher era, arguing that economic control was lost through the sale of essential assets. He called for a reset of relations with European neighbours and pledged principled leadership on a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine.