UK PM Andy Burnham is set to outline his plans to “turn Britain around” in his first Labour conference speech as party leader
LIVERPOOL: UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham will on Tuesday outline his plan to “turn Britain around” when he makes his first speech to the ruling Labour party’s annual gathering as leader.
The 56-year-old former mayor of Manchester has re-energised the centre-left party since MPs parachuted him into Downing Street in July after ending Keir Starmer’s two-year premiership.
But he has provided little detail about how exactly he intends to fulfil lofty and costly pledges, including the reindustrialisation of the country, when government finances are severely constrained.
Burnham will use his keynote address in Liverpool to detail “a more serious prospectus for Britain than people have been offered in a generation”, Labour said in a press release.
“I accept people will not agree with every part of it, but I believe it can turn Britain around,” the premier was due to say, according to the pre-released remarks.
The Labour statement said Burnham would set out a “clear direction for the country” when he takes to the stage to address Labour MPs and grassroots activists at 2:00 pm (1300 GMT).
He will be taking on “the difficult issues that have been ignored for too long by” previous governments, the release added.
That includes on social care, youth unemployment, and “the need for greater public control of energy, water and housing,” according to the statement.
Since becoming prime minister on July 20, just weeks after returning to parliament following a nine-year absence, Burnham has sought to offer a more upbeat tone than Starmer did.
He has tried to give people some “breathing space” from cost-of-living pressures exacerbated by the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, and his friendly demeanour has strengthened his public image.
‘Hope Again’
But huge questions remain about what major reforms he can achieve, with the UK economy weighed down by insipid growth, high energy prices and soaring borrowing costs.
He must also find billions of pounds for the UK’s defence to meet NATO commitments — while sticking to Labour’s promises in its 2024 election-winning manifesto not to raise income tax and two other main taxes.
Nevertheless, Labour’s conference slogan is “Hope Again” and delegates are more upbeat than in the previous two editions when recriminations about domestic policy missteps by Starmer flew around.
“It’s really positive,” 34-year-old attendee Emma Bean said of the atmosphere.
“Everybody is really excited to hear Andy’s message of hope,” she told AFP.
Labour said Burnham will “announce a raft of policies and commitments that will bring hope again to Britain”, during his speech, which is expected to last about an hour.
But he will add that “hope comes from honesty and from saying the things politicians usually avoid,” suggesting he might detail some painful trade-offs.
“We can’t carry on as we are. Politics-as-usual has taken Britain backwards. More of the same isn’t good enough and isn’t going to get us where we need to be,” he was set to say.
