Burnham's triple shock: PM gambles with Labour's electoral prospects by axing pension triple lock in most Left-wing speech since the 1970s
Andy Burnham gambled with Labour's electoral prospects yesterday.
The Prime Minister vowed to scrap the pension triple lock, unpick Brexit and tear up Britain's voting system.
In a seismic first speech to Labour's annual conference, Mr Burnham said he wanted to 'break the mould' of British politics and reverse Thatcherism.
He pledged to axe the triple lock, which has protected the value of the state pension, to help pay for a National Care Service to deliver social care.
In an emotional address, the PM fought back tears as he dedicated the policy to his father Roy, who died this month after spending his final days in a care home with Alzheimer's.
The triple lock raid will cost pensioners £15billion a year by the end of the next decade.
But government sources said unspecified tax rises would be needed to help fund the grandiose plan.
Sources also admi=tted the new service will cover only personal care, not residential costs, meaning some Britons will still have to sell their homes to pay for care in later life.
Andy Burnham vowed to scrap the pension triple lock, unpick Brexit and tear up Britain's voting system during his first speech to Labour's annual conference
The PM revealed that Labour will fight the next election on a pledge to tear up Britain's first-past-the-post voting system
Last night, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said scrapping the triple lock in 2030 was a 'first step' and acknowledged that the social care plan 'could require additional funding' via the tax system.
Mr Burnham also announced plans to reverse Brexit, which he claimed had done 'more harm than good'.
A series of 'options' for Britain's future relationship with Brussels will be published before the two sides meet later this autumn.
These are expected to include embracing the single market and customs union, and even rejoining the EU.
In a triple whammy of reforms, the PM also revealed that Labour will fight the next election on a pledge to tear up Britain's first-past-the-post voting system.
A national commission on electoral reform will devise a new system, which will then be put in Labour's next manifesto.
The announcement marks the biggest shake-up of the electoral system in more than 100 years.
Electoral reform is favoured by the Lib Dems and the Greens, and could open the door to a succession of 'rainbow coalitions', locking the Right out of power.
The scale of the commitments – and the frequent references to the next Parliament – triggered fresh speculation last night that Mr Burnham is gearing up for an election next year.
Kemi Badenoch accused the PM of wanting to 'take Britain back to the 1970s'.
The Conservative leader added: '[It was] a time of more government control, more trade union control and no economic growth.
'There is a reason our country took a different course after that decade. Nothing Burnham announced will do anything to fix Britain's long-term problems.
'He had no plan to fix our stagnant economy. No plan to fund defence. No plan to sort out the spiralling welfare bill, beyond more government schemes.'
On a dramatic day:
- Mr Burnham said he would never introduce 'crude cuts' to reduce the welfare bill;
- The PM warned that the 'broken' social care system would 'break the NHS' unless it is reformed;
- A YouGov poll put Reform ahead of Labour by a narrow margin for the first time since summer;
- Mr Burnham said the privatised water industry 'stinks' and announced he would overhaul the sector, including by cracking down on bonuses.
The PM told the conference in Liverpool he would unpick the legacy of Margaret Thatcher, including scrapping the Right to Buy for new council houses.
He pledged to 'make a break with the direction of the last 40 years', including greater state control of water, energy and housing.
Mr Burnham acknowledged that his reforms would not be universally popular but appealed to voters to give him a hearing.
'I accept I may pay a political price,' he admitted. 'But someone has to go through the pain barrier and rip the plaster off.'
The PM said he wanted to 'bring back hope', revive a spirit of 'working class aspiration' and allow Britain to 'rise again'.
The nakedly Left-wing agenda delighted MPs on Labour's hard-Left Socialist Campaign Group, with some even joking that they were 'considering disbanding' as their work was done.
Nigel Farage said Mr Burnham had no mandate for the changes and urged him to call an election now.
'By potentially scrapping the triple lock, Andy Burnham will abdicate his responsibility to British pensioners,' the Reform UK leader said.
'Instead of cutting our bloated benefits bill, stopping migrants from accessing benefits or slashing foreign aid, he's considering launching an offensive against our elderly.'
Dennis Reed, of the campaign group Silver Voices, said Labour would face a major backlash from older voters, describing the triple lock plan as 'the winter fuel payment on stilts'.
But sources insisted older people would continue to benefit from the 'highest state pension in history'.
Under the terms of the triple lock, which was introduced in 2011, the state pension rises by whichever is the highest of inflation, earnings or 2.5 per cent.
Under Labour's new plan, the direct link with earnings will be lost, leaving the pension rising by either inflation or 2.5 per cent.
Government sources said a separate mechanism would ensure the pension does not fall below 30 per cent of average earnings over time.
Mr Burnham claimed the change would 'generate significant savings' to build up his National Care Service.
READ MORE:
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Coalitions of chaos are on the cards after PM pledges to change the voting system
NIGEL FARAGE: The State pension is not a handout. To break the contract with retirees now is a betrayal
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