Andy Burnham latest: PM willing to ‘pay political price’ of scrapping pension triple lock to help fund social care

Andy Burnham latest: PM willing to ‘pay political price’ of scrapping pension triple lock to help fund social care The PM said he was giving Britain ‘honesty, ideas and a clear direction for the country we all love’ as he unveiled a swathe of announcements - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today. Join todayAlready a member? Log in Andy Burnham has said he is willing to “pay a political price” by scrapping the state pensions triple lock in order to help fund his social care plans. The controversial move was unveiled in his leadership speech on Tuesday when he said he would remove the link to average earnings to fund a new National Care Service. He told the conference in Liverpool that he wanted to build a “national consensus” around plans being drawn up following a consultation by Baroness Louise Casey. “I won’t pretend some of this won’t be difficult,” he said. “I accept I may pay a political price. But someone has to go through the pain barrier and rip the plaster off.” The prime minister also said he will back abolishing first-past-the-post, as he unveiled plans for a new national commission on electoral reform. He delivered his speech to a packed conference hall, becoming visibly emotional as he talked about his late father Roy and vowing to govern in a way which would make him proud. This blog has been paused Thank you for following our live coverage. Comment: Why Andy Burnham’s Great British Grid won’t work By announcing more investment in the national grid, Andy Burnham has correctly diagnosed part of the problem of high electricity prices, but he isn’t even pretending he can bring those prices down in the next few years. In a preview of his speech today, he will say: “Within 10 years, I want our energy costs to be in line with other nations in Europe.” The problem is that switching from gas to renewable energy means building a whole new electricity grid. This is what is so expensive, and explains why wind and solar power, which is cheap to run, costs so much by the time the electricity they produce gets to people’s homes. But the cost of investing in new grid networks and connections cannot be magicked away by announcing a new organisation. Journalists have been briefed that GB Grid, which is being set up “within” GB Energy, will be given access to a pot of £4bn that has already been allocated to GB Energy, “though it is not expected to use all of that money”. Read more: Why Andy Burnham’s Great British Grid won’t work Editorial: Andy Burnham has fired the starting gun for the next general election It’s been just 10 weeks since he became prime minister, but in his first set-piece conference speech as Labour leader, Andy Burnham wanted the party and the country to know its origins went back much further. To his working-class background, right there, in Liverpool. To securing the education his parents were denied, to his disillusion with Westminster, to the transformation under his watch of Manchester, to the recent death of his father. The landmarks of his life were all there, and more. He deployed them skilfully and, at times, emotionally, to issue an intensely personal tour de force, pleading to the nation to combine – “All together now” – to rewire the country and make far-reaching reforms, to produce a better future in every postcode, for everybody. Read more here: Andy Burnham has fired the starting gun for the next general election Social care system is a 'lottery of life', says Baroness Casey Baroness Louise Casey, who is conducting a review into Andy Burnham’s social care reform plans, says the current system is a “lottery of life”. She told Sky News she would deliver her review by next summer because the prime minister “thinks we should crack on”. ”We're kind of looking for a revolution, really, in social care and in the National Health Service. And I think to me, I think what Andy Burnham said today sounds pretty radical and sounds like a really big change, and I'm delighted by it, frankly,” she told the broadcaster. “I think at the moment it's the sort of lottery of life as to what you end up paying and how. “I think all of that needs to be worked through and worked through properly,” she said. Current EU settlement ‘not working’, cabinet minister admits as Burnham edges closer to rejoining A cabinet minister has admitted Britain’s current EU settlement is “not working” as Andy Burnham edges closer to rejoining the bloc. Cabinet Office minister Louise Haigh did not directly address a question asked about whether the party could include a pledge to rejoin the EU in its next manifesto. She told BBC Radio 4 that “the current settlement [with the EU] is not working for Britain”, and when asked whether such a pledge could be included, said Labour’s red lines “will remain in place for the duration of this parliament”. She added: “Brexit has harmed our economy, has harmed our security, and has harmed our ability to control our borders. “And later this year, Hamish Falconer in my team will lead the UK government negotiations [with the EU] to get a food deal and an energy deal that will help drive down prices for consumers here in this country. “But that's not enough. It's not enough to substantially improve our position.” Current EU settlement ‘not working’, cabinet minister admits Burnham must be willing to give more powers to Wales - Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru has said it is ready to “work constructively” with Andy Burnham, but said he must be willing to “devolve power from Westminster to Wales”. Following the prime minister’s leadership speech, Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts said: “On many issues, there is clear common ground between Andy Burnham’s plans for England and what the Plaid Cymru Welsh Government is already delivering in Wales, and we stand ready to work constructively where that can benefit the people of Wales. "We particularly welcome his commitment to a commission on electoral reform. Plaid Cymru has long argued that Westminster's voting system is broken and that every vote should count equally.” Ms Saville Roberts called on Mr Burnham to trust Wales “with greater powers” and said he failed to give detail on “on what his vision of rewiring the British state means for the devolved nations. “If that vision is genuinely about improving the lives of people in every postcode, it must also be about shifting power from Westminster to Wales. “Constitutional renewal cannot simply be about reforming Westminster.” Comment: That was a big, brave speech from Burnham – but he made one mistake The idea of ‘more public control’ is not strong enough to bear the weight of a 10-year programme for government, writes John Rentoul: That was a big, brave speech from Andy Burnham – but he made one fundamental mistake Question mark over how National Care Service will be funded, warns think tank Andy Burnham’s pledge to reform the triple lock will not free up enough money to pay for a National Care Service, a think tank has warned. The prime minister on Tuesday promised to set up a new model of social care “where everyone contributes and everyone is covered, free at the point of use”. Speaking at the Labour Party’s conference in Liverpool, he said the new system would be “fully funded – and not through borrowing”. Sarah Woolnough, the chief executive of The King’s Fund, said the proposal for a National Care Service “will be expensive for the state”. She said: “There’s no detailed plan on the table yet but a genuine promise that one is forthcoming. “Many genuine questions remain about how these reforms will work in practice and how much it will cost.” She said these questions, along with questions about how the reforms will affect working-age adults who need social care, “will need to be answered before people are able to make an informed choice at the next election”. Comment: Did Andy Burnham’s Labour conference speech just make history? Plus, have your say Did Andy Burnham’s Labour conference speech just make history? Plus, have your say Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments