Burnham sets out pension, water and care plans in first conference speech as PM

Prime Minister Andy Burnham used his first speech as Labour leader at the party’s conference in Liverpool on 29 September to announce plans for stronger public control of water and a change to state pension increases from 2030. He said savings from the pension proposal would help fund a National Care Service in England. The pledges set out a direction for public services and household costs, but several depend on future legislation and funding decisions.

Burnham promised to break with the direction of the past 40 years and put Britain on a new path, according to the BBC’s account of the speech. The address also covered energy, housing and voting reform. His proposals range from measures with stated start dates to ambitions that would extend into the next Parliament.

How Burnham would change water ownership

Burnham said a strengthened Water Bill would repeal the legal ban on public ownership of water companies. He described that step as the beginning of a 10-year journey towards a different water system, rather than an immediate commitment to renationalise the industry. The BBC reported that this pledge drew the first of 11 standing ovations during a speech lasting just over an hour.

The plan would give mayors new powers to hold water companies to account, bring tougher consequences for repeated failures and close loopholes used for excessive bonuses, according to Labour’s published speech. Burnham said private companies serving the public interest would be supported. Where companies failed to do so, he raised the possibility of taking back control or moving to public ownership. The speech did not establish which companies, if any, would change hands.

What was promised for bills and housing

On household costs, Burnham said the government would remove VAT from electricity bills from 1 October 2026. He also promised a £2 cap on single bus fares across England, beginning in January and running throughout 2027. Those dates are commitments announced in the speech, rather than evidence that the measures have taken effect.

For housing, Burnham pledged a council house building programme and changes to Right to Buy so newly built council homes would not be sold through that scheme. He said councils would gain powers to bring empty homes into public housing stock and could acquire the worst-quality rental homes if landlords ignored warnings to improve them. He said legislation would be used if needed.

Burnham also proposed a ‘Your First Home’ policy aimed at reducing the deposit needed by prospective first-time buyers. He said a Leasehold Reform Bill would be introduced before Christmas 2026. The announcements identify areas of change, but the available speech account does not establish how many homes would be built or the deposit reduction a buyer would receive.

Pension changes proposed from April 2030

The current state pension triple lock raises payments each year by the highest of inflation, average earnings growth or 2.5%. Burnham said Labour would keep that commitment for the rest of the current Parliament. From April 2030, his proposal would instead guarantee an annual increase of at least inflation or 2.5%, whichever is higher, with extra increases in some years to keep pensions in line with average earnings.

That distinction matters to pensioners because the earnings element would no longer automatically determine every annual rise when it exceeded the other measures. Burnham said the change would generate significant savings to help fund a National Care Service. Neither the speech nor the BBC’s account supplied a quantified savings estimate or a detailed, costed funding plan.

The political argument had begun before Burnham spoke. In a pre-speech report, the Guardian quoted Unite general secretary Sharon Graham calling the prospect of ending the triple lock ‘electoral suicide’. She argued that taking security from people receiving about £12,500 a year would be wrong. Those comments addressed the prospect being discussed before the speech; they should not be read as her response to the precise policy Burnham subsequently announced.

Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell likewise said before the address that the party remained committed to the triple lock during the current Parliament. She also argued that solving the social care crisis required an open discussion about its costs, the Guardian reported. Burnham’s speech kept the existing promise for that period while proposing a different formula beyond it.

National Care Service and other commitments

Burnham proposed a National Care Service covering everyone, starting with care in people’s homes and free at the point of use. He said it would be introduced in the next Parliament and funded without borrowing. Louise Casey’s review would advise on the details, he said, while he and Yvette Cooper would seek broad agreement on its recommendations. The service’s design, cost and route to implementation remain to be settled.

On elections, Burnham announced a national commission on electoral reform, according to the BBC. He said Labour would contest the next general election with a manifesto commitment to change the voting system so every vote counts and every voice is heard. A commission and a future manifesto pledge do not themselves change the rules used for Westminster elections.

The speech ended on a personal note. Burnham spoke about his father Roy, who died earlier in September after living with Alzheimer’s, and appeared overcome with emotion, the BBC reported. He said he would use the premiership to build the kind of Britain his father wanted to see. The conference response underscored the emotional force of the address, while the practical test of its policy promises lies in the bills, plans and funding decisions still to come.