Andy Burnham will give the most important speech of his premiership so far, pledging to tackle issues that politicians "usually avoid". The Prime Minister will address the Labour Party conference in Liverpool at 2pm, with speculation swirling that the pension triple lock may be in his sights for reform to pay for a social care shake-up.
Mr Burnham is expected to use his address to set out a new course for a "Britain where people feel the country has their back again". He is likely to set out more detail on how he plans to set up a National Care Service, tackle youth unemployment and increase public control on utilities. He will vow to hold an "honest conversation" about tough issues.
Great British Grid to tackle 'broken energy market'
The Prime Minister will pledge to drive down energy costs with a new publicly-owned Great British Grid to overhaul the "broken energy market". In his big speech to Labour conference, Mr Burnham will set out plans for greater public control of energy as he warned firms and businesses are left shouldering the cost of energy prices dictated by markets miles away.
GB Grid, a new publicly-owned company, will aim to speed up grid connections for businesses and drive down costs by increasing competition in the market. It will also make it easier for firms waiting to connect to build infrastructure themselves so they don't have to wait. It marks the first major step in Mr Burnham's drive to bring essential services back into public control.
Britain’s energy grid, which was privatised by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, gets electricity and gas flowing around the country to homes and businesses. But the ageing grid has suffered from decades of underinvestment, with firms criticising slow connections and the massive backlog to join the transmission network as a blocker for investment.
PM's vision for lower energy costs
Mr Burnham is expected to say: "We have a cost crisis. We all know it. The price of energy is crippling for businesses, and British billpayers pay some of the highest energy costs in Europe. We have an energy system where prices are dictated in markets miles away, while families and businesses here shoulder the costs. Once again, the British public has lost control."
He will add: "Within ten years, I want our energy costs to be in line with other nations in Europe. That means we must reform a broken energy market so it serves the public interest. I can announce today our plan for Great British Grid, a publicly owned company that will work with the private sector and network companies. It will increase competition to drive down costs and speed up delivery so businesses can connect faster and grow quicker. This is what more public control can do."
Triple lock commitment questioned
There has long been speculation that the state pension protection may not be sustainable in the long run, particularly with huge spending pressures around the corner. Mr Burnham has ambitious plans to overhaul the social care sector, which will be far from cheap. The triple lock - which guarantees pensions rise by either 2.5%, the average wage growth or inflation, depending on which is higher - will undoubtedly be something to consider.
Last night Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the government is committed to it in this Parliament. But further ahead, that's unclear. He told Times Radio: "We're absolutely committed to our manifesto commitment, which is the triple lock in this Parliament. So it's really important that pensioners know their incomes are going to rise. That's the guarantee, effectively, what a triple lock means to people. You're going to be better off." Asked whether Labour may scrap it after 2029, he said: "That's for the future. I can only tell you here and now, as a government elected on a manifesto, that's the manifesto that we will stick to."
