Prime Minister Andy Burnham has delivered a keynote speech at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool, outlining a radical vision for the UK’s social and political future just 50 days into his premiership.
Speaking on Tuesday 29 September 2026, the Prime Minister combined significant policy announcements with a deeply personal account of his family’s recent experiences. He confirmed that his father, Roy Burnham, died on 14 September after living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Mr Burnham told the conference at the ACC Liverpool that his grief as a son had become a primary driver for his government’s agenda. He vowed to reform the social care system in England in his father’s memory, proposing the creation of a National Care Service that is free at the point of use and fully integrated with the NHS.
Funding the National Care Service
To fund this new model of social care, the Prime Minister announced a significant shift in long-standing fiscal policy. He proposed ending the pension triple lock in 2030, arguing that the transition is necessary to ensure the sustainability of the care system for future generations.
The proposed National Care Service aims to move away from the current fragmented system towards a person-centred model. Under the plans, the government intends to make care free at the point of use, mirroring the founding principles of the National Health Service.
The Prime Minister’s father’s funeral is expected to take place in the coming days, and the speech was widely viewed as an attempt to bridge the gap between high-level policy and the lived experience of families dealing with the UK’s care crisis.
Voting Reform and the Union
Beyond social care, Mr Burnham used his platform to signal a major shift in the UK’s democratic structure. He pledged that the Labour Party would fight the next General Election on a platform of changing the UK’s voting system.
He also addressed constitutional tensions following recent comments from Scottish First Minister John Swinney, who had suggested Mr Burnham might be the “last Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.” The Prime Minister rejected this claim, asserting his commitment to the Union and his belief that radical social reform could serve as a unifying force across the four nations.
The speech followed a busy period of international diplomacy for the Prime Minister, who recently returned from his first major trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During the visit, he held talks with US President Donald Trump, where discussions included international standards for Artificial Intelligence.
Mr Burnham took office approximately 50 days ago following the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer. This conference speech was seen as his first major opportunity to define his leadership, moving from the transitional period of his first weeks into a more defined, policy-driven premiership.
