Andy Burnham has pledged to build a Britain his late father would be proud of, using a Labour conference speech to set out plans for reform of social care, housing, energy and water. In an address that ran for just over an hour, the Prime Minister said he wanted to take the country out of its rut through what he described as honesty, ideas and a clear direction.
The theme of creating a country his father would have been proud of ran throughout the speech, which drew an emotional response from party members in the hall. Burnham framed the agenda as a break from short-term politics, arguing that the changes he set out were intended to address long-standing weaknesses in public services and infrastructure.
Central to the energy plans is the creation of Great British Grid, a new public sector body designed to act as a challenger to the private firms that own and operate the electricity network. The government has said the new entity will complement, rather than replace, existing institutions and network operators, whose roles remain unchanged. The announcement was accompanied by a claim that the body would give the regulator better data to drive down costs, though analysts noted that the plan does not amount to nationalisation or a transfer of existing assets into public hands.
Market reaction to the proposal was muted. Shares in National Grid and SSE, the two grid companies listed in London, fell by around 0.5 per cent, in line with the wider market. That response suggests investors do not see the measure as a fundamental shift in ownership of the energy system.
Alongside energy, Burnham set out changes to social care, housing and water, presenting them as part of a wider effort to rebuild public services. The speech also touched on the future of the United Kingdom, with Burnham determined to prove John Swinney wrong for claiming he would be the last Prime Minister of the UK. The address came on the day his father died, adding a personal dimension to a political message built around legacy and national renewal.
The conference speech was received warmly by Labour members, who laughed and cried at points during the address. It also included a shift on the pensions triple lock, a long-standing commitment that the party faithful appeared willing to accept being set aside. For Burnham, the challenge now is to turn the promises and the emotional connection of the conference hall into detailed policy that can withstand scrutiny and deliver results.
The Prime Minister's allies argue that the package represents a coherent direction for the country, combining public control where it can lower costs with a realistic approach to existing institutions. Critics are likely to question how much of the agenda can be delivered, particularly on energy, where the government has explicitly ruled out taking over existing assets. The coming months will test whether the vision set out in the speech can be translated into legislation and practical change.