Andy Burnham recently made his first conference speech as Prime Minister in which he set out his plan to break with ‘politics as usual’ and draw a line on a decade of division. He vowed to take on the issues that have been ignored by politicians for too long, including social care and youth unemployment to create a Britain for all of us; no matter who we are or where we’re born. This new direction comes as after a series of measures he announced over the summer to give people breathing space, including capping bus fares at £2 in 2027, taking VAT off electricity bills which will took effect last Thursday, as well as Your First Home to help people get on the property ladder.
These are initial steps before the budget later this month. The Prime Minister also announced a clear intention to create the National Care Service, free at the point of use and following the principles of the NHS. This is a bold step to offer higher quality care for those in need, but also one that showcases the overdue appreciation we should all have for those who work in social care up and down the country.
To help fund this new service, the Prime Minister announced a slight tweak to the triple lock after 2030, one that guarantees an uplift in line with inflation or 2.5%, this protects pensioners from inflationary shocks and ensures the state pensions will continue to rise. The minor alteration to the lock reduces the impact of rising in line with earnings, making sure it tracks them over time rather than increasing in line with them each year. This change safeguards the state pension from inflation and guarantees a minimum rise of 2.5% and also allows the government to tackle one of the biggest and most unfair costs on families, the existing social care system.
The Prime Minister’s speech set a bold direction for the future of the country, one willing to tackle the biggest issues we face, like the costs of social care and the failing private water industries, with a renewed focus on healing division and bringing back hope. I will continue to work for the people of Swindon North and support the Prime Minister in his aspirations.
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