Good morning. Following Donald Trump’s victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Ed Miliband, then a former leader of the Labour Party, shared insightful reflections on the implications of Trump’s approach for progressive politics. He noted that Trump was advocating for “big solutions,” a concept he later elaborated in his book titled “Go Big.” At that time, Jeremy Corbyn led Labour and similarly presented a bold vision to voters, though he struggled to gain their support. Today, however, a more centrist Labour leader is set to adopt this “Go Big” philosophy.
According to the Labour Party’s overnight briefing, Andy Burnham plans to use his inaugural conference address as leader to unveil what he describes as “a more serious prospectus for Britain than has been offered in a generation.”
He will convey that “continuing as we are is not an option. Traditional politics has regressed Britain, and repeating past strategies will not suffice to move us forward.”
The Labour briefing states that Burnham intends to advocate for “honest conversations” with the public, addressing long-ignored issues such as social care, youth unemployment, and the need for increased public oversight of essential services like energy, water, and housing. He is expected to say:
“Hope arises from honesty and from confronting the topics that politicians typically shy away from.”
As reported by Kiran Stacey, Jessica Elgot, and Pippa Crerar in the Guardian, Burnham will make a significant move toward public control of utility companies by announcing the establishment of a new government-supported entity to invest in the electricity grid.
However, much of the media’s focus seems to be on Burnham’s ambitious “Go Big” initiative. Over the weekend, he revealed his intention to campaign on a major proposal to create an NHS-style care service that would offer free care at the point of use. While he did not specify funding methods, Downing Street has not dismissed speculation that this plan may involve reconsidering the pension triple lock, a long-protected aspect of British politics. Many politicians privately agree with economists who argue that the costs associated with the triple lock are unsustainable in the long run.
Burnham is unlikely to commit to a position on abolishing the triple lock for the next election. Labour’s manifesto promises to maintain it throughout this parliament, and Burnham is adhering to that commitment. “Government sources have indicated that Burnham may express a willingness to review the policy without definitively pledging to eliminate it,” as reported today. Thus, it appears Burnham aims to initiate a pre-election dialogue, hoping to convince the public that eliminating a costly and poorly targeted benefit for pensioners is a necessary trade-off for transformative changes in adult social care. During an LBC phone-in yesterday, Burnham acknowledged the possibility that voters might reject this approach.
Among those opposing the idea is Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, a significant union within the Labour Party. When asked about the potential removal of the triple lock, she remarked to the Times:
“I believe it would be nearly electoral suicide. Morally, it is not the right course of action. Our pension spending is the lowest among the G7 nations, which is quite frankly embarrassing given that we are one of the world’s wealthiest economies. Cutting this benefit would send a devastating message. I cannot comprehend why we continue to target pensioners.”
Here is the agenda for today’s conference:
10 AM: The conference opens with Chris Byrant, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, leading a discussion on empowering communities. Claire Ward, the Mayor of the East Midlands, will also speak.
10 AM: Lucy Powell, the deputy leader, will address a fringe event focused on what Labour can learn from its members. Other ministers participating in fringe events today include Miatta Fahnbulleh, the Energy Secretary, and Kanishka Narayan, the Minister for AI.
Around 11:40 AM: Angela Rayner, the Housing Secretary, will address the conference.
2 PM: Andy Burnham will deliver his keynote speech.
5 PM: Bridget Phillipson, the Labour Chair, and Alan Milburn, a former cabinet minister who chaired a review on NEETs, will participate in a Tony Blair Institute fringe event.
Given the significance of the day in British politics, we will open comments for a few hours later. While I will review the comments, I cannot read them all. For direct communication, please email politics.live@theguardian.com for corrections, public comments, questions, or complaints.
This morning, Andy Burnham shared a condensed version of the overnight briefing on social media, reiterating:
“We cannot continue as we have been. Traditional politics has taken Britain backward, and merely repeating past approaches will not lead us to a better future. Today, I will outline a different direction for our nation. This necessitates having an honest dialogue about long-ignored issues, such as reforming social care, addressing youth unemployment, and granting greater control over energy, water, and housing. Hope is rooted in honesty. It involves addressing the challenges we face and having the courage to tackle them, which is precisely what I intend to do.”
Lucy Powell, the deputy Labour leader, has been engaging with the media this morning, emphasizing Labour’s commitment to maintaining the pension triple lock for the current parliamentary term.
