Newscast

The broadcast began with headlines reporting that five men had been arrested in Britain on suspicion of explosives and terrorism offences after suspicious vehicles were reported near an airbase used by the US military. In Northern Ireland, hundreds of protesters blocked a road in Portadown to prevent an authorised Loyalist Orange Order march, the first such authorisation in almost 30 years. Police in South Africa were searching for gunmen who killed at least 27 people in two mass shootings within hours of each other, and Pope Leo led a torchlight procession at the Lady of Lourdes sanctuary on the third day of his visit to France.

In the Newscast discussion, Prime Minister Andy Burnham gave an interview during the Labour conference in Liverpool and set out plans for a national care service in England, free at the point of delivery and intended to fix the crisis in adult social care. He compared it to the NHS, said social care and health currently do not connect, and argued that spending on prevention could save money later. He indicated the plan could mean asking people to pay more tax at the next election, though Number 10 did not brief further detail and he was expected to say more in a speech on Tuesday. The proposal was described as politically risky, with critics already calling it a death tax or a tax rise.

The programme also discussed other issues around the conference, including the welfare bill, which Burnham would not commit to reducing before the next general election, and Heathrow expansion, where he repeatedly declined to say whether he backed a third runway, calling it a contested issue and a matter for London. It noted a possible further delay to the Heathrow runway until 2039 and that a parliamentary vote would be needed. The discussion also covered the upcoming Budget and Chancellor John Healey's speech, with little detail on how Labour's spending plans would be funded, and mentions of options such as scrapping the triple lock and a wealth tax.