Andy Burnham Delivers Major Policy Speech at Labour Conference

Andy Burnham addressed Labour's annual conference in Liverpool on Tuesday, outlining major expansions of public ownership and a restructured state pension guarantee.

• £18 billion a year: estimated annual cost of the proposed national care service.
• 3.1 percent: UK annual consumer price inflation in the 12 months to August.
• 64 percent of Labour members say taxes and government spending are too low, per YouGov polling released Tuesday.
• 8 percent of the British public would accept pension cuts, versus 60 percent who would cut overseas aid.

Why it matters: Burnham's proposals span the core of British public life: how the elderly are cared for, who owns water and energy, and how votes translate into seats in Parliament.

• The national care service would be free at the point of use, with no care charges deducted from the basic state pension.
• Funding it requires altering the triple lock — the guarantee that pensions rise by the highest of inflation, wage growth, or 2.5 percent annually.

How 15 sources split on this story

Where they split: The central dispute is whether altering the triple lock is a pragmatic funding trade-off for better care or a politically damaging betrayal of pensioners.

What’s next: Chancellor Healey's October 28 Budget will set spending constraints; he has warned against a 1997-style spending spree.

• Baroness Casey leads a review that will shape the care service before any post-election legislation.
• Creditors of Thames Water, Britain's largest water supplier, are seeking approval for a rescue plan that could trigger a government special administration.
• Will enough Labour MPs and union allies accept triple-lock changes before a general election?
• Can the government fund the national care service without tax rises that conflict with existing manifesto commitments?
• What form will the electoral reform commission's recommendations take, and will Labour adopt proportional representation as policy?