Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced the controversial pensions triple lock will be scrapped from 2030 to help pay for the Government’s social care plans. In his first Labour Party conference speech since entering Number 10, he laid out his plan for the country, covering care, pensions, housing, welfare, electoral reform, energy and water.
Pensions and social care
Mr Burnham said the Government would tweak the triple lock on pensions to help pay for a landmark National Care Service. Pensions will rise either by CPI inflation, or a minimum of 2.5%, which would generate “significant savings” and remove the link to average earnings from April 2030. He said it would hold its value “relative” to earnings “over time”.
Addressing the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, Mr Burnham said low-income pensioners would not have to pay income tax during this Parliament. Announcing the policies, he also paid tribute to his father Roy, who was in a care home before his death.
Mr Burnham said: “I won’t pretend some of this won’t be difficult. I accept I may pay a political price. But someone has to go through the pain barrier and rip the plaster off. It’s the leadership I promised you when I asked to be your leader.”
Electoral reform and water
Labour will fight the next election on a promise to introduce a form of proportional representation, Mr Burnham said. The Prime Minister announced a national commission on electoral reform.
The Government will pave the way for public ownership of water companies, including Thames Water, through a new Bill, which Environment Secretary Angela Eagle will unveil. Margaret Thatcher’s “ideological ban” on public ownership of water companies will be repealed.
Mr Burnham said: “Water is a symbol of what has gone wrong with Britain – a service where the shareholders never lose and the public never win, from which some have syphoned out easy money while the public picked up the bill for the sewage in our seas. It stinks.”
Energy and housing
Mr Burnham said a new publicly-owned Great British Grid would drive down energy costs. Britain will have a national energy plan for the first time and give stronger powers to mayors and local leaders, he added.
“Energy, water, housing. Back under stronger public control. We rely on them, we pay for them and once again we will have power over them.” He said he would be “pragmatic” in relation to North Sea oil and gas amid looming decisions on Jackdaw and Rosebank “as we build a bridge to a clean energy future as we confront the climate crisis”.
Rogue landlords that refuse to improve the quality of the homes they rent out will see their properties seized, the Prime Minister announced. Councils will be given the power to take over poor quality flats and houses if they are not upgraded, Mr Burnham said.
“Landlords who rent out the worst quality homes will be given warnings to improve them. If they refuse, we will make it much easier for councils to acquire those homes – and we will legislate if necessary. We don’t let people sell food which damages health, so why allow it with homes? From now on, we won’t.”
