Newscast

BBC Newscast came from the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, where Andy Burnham gave his first conference speech as Prime Minister. The programme noted the hour-long speech without a lectern or notes but with an autocue, and highlighted an emotional section about his father's recent death and John Swinney's remark that he would be the last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, which Burnham said made him determined to prove him wrong. The discussion linked this personal material to his political argument, including the care system and housing, and said the conference audience responded strongly.

On policy, the programme reported Burnham's plan for a universal National Care Service, free at the point of delivery, focused on care at home and personal care rather than care homes. He said people would not have to use their state pension to pay for personal care, sell their home or give up life savings, though wealthier pensioners might still pay something. To fund it, he said the triple lock would end after 2030 if Labour were re-elected, with the state pension still rising by at least prices or 2.5% and holding its value relative to earnings over time, with a mechanism if earnings rose sharply; he also said the state pension would never be subject to income tax and the plan would not be paid for by borrowing. Burnham also announced a national commission on electoral reform to consider alternatives to first past the post, and the programme said Labour would contest the next election on a proposed change to the voting system.

The programme then covered his remarks on Brexit and public control. It said he argued the current model of Brexit was not working and that he would present options for the future UK-EU relationship around a summit later this year, while sticking to the current Labour manifesto red lines on not rejoining the customs union or single market. On public control over essentials, it reported a strengthened water bill to be presented by Angela Eagle, whose centrepiece would be repeal of Margaret Thatcher's ban on public ownership, alongside tougher penalties and restrictions on bonuses for water companies. It also covered plans for a publicly owned GB Grid within GB Energy to compete with the National Grid, and giving councils more power to take back empty properties, with legislation threatened if landlords did not improve housing conditions.