'Very good vision for the country'

Unite largely welcomed prime minister Andy Burnham’s speech to Labour Party Conference on Tuesday (September 29).

In a wide-ranging and emotionally charged address, Burnham vowed to push through several measures to benefit working people.

Some of these included the biggest council housebuilding programme in a generation, an end to poor quality rented homes; legislating to bring water and other essential utilities back into public ownership; as well as tackling the high cost of energy for both households and businesses. Part of this would include a new ‘Great British Grid’ initiative.

He announced VAT from energy bills would be eliminated from Thursday, and bus fares across the UK would be capped at £2 for a single journey. These, he said, would provide immediate relief to families struggling with the cost of living.

The development of a National Care Service was at the heart of his speech, which would be, like the NHS, free at the point of use. Burnham directly addressed care workers, noting, “You are not invisible to me. I see you. I thank you…I promise you, I won’t leave this job without doing everything I can to change things for you.”

In direct reference to a long-time Unite policy, Burnham went on to say he will oversee the “reindustrialisation of our regions” by “changing public procurement so that it backs British industry, as our trade unions have rightly pushed us to do”.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham responding to PM Andy Burnham’s speech in ITV interview

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said Burnham had set out a very good vision for the country, addressing issues which had been ignored for too long.

But she said “pulling a lever” on the pension triple lock was wrong.

“Going to the well of pensioners before going for the super rich is wrong.”

Graham said she would give the Prime Minister eight and a half out of 10 for his speech.

By Hajera Blagg

Photos by Mark Thomas