Burnham to pledge end to ‘politics as usual’ in conference speech

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will pledge to make a break with “politics as usual” in his first party conference speech as leader.

In his address to delegates in Liverpool, Burnham will set out his clear vision for the country and promise to take action on issues ignored by politicians for too long, including social care and youth unemployment.

As teased by Burnham earlier in the week, greater public control of utilities, including energy and water, is set to be a major theme of the speech.

The Prime Minister will say: “We can’t carry on as we are. Politics-as-usual has taken Britain backwards. More of the same isn’t good enough and isn’t going to get us where we need to be.”

READ MORE: Labour Party Conference 2026: Full LabourList events programme, revealed

Burnham, who succeeded Keir Starmer as leader and Prime Minister in July, will also say that “hope comes with honesty”, with the need for an “honest conversation” with the public and taking on difficult issues neglected by others, in particular social care.

He is set to announce a raft of policies, forming a “a more serious prospectus for Britain than people have been offered in a generation” and say: “I accept people will not agree with every part of it, but I believe it can turn Britain around.”

The Prime Minister will also talk about how our country is currently “run for vested interests, not in the public interest, with power held in too few hands” and that we need “more control of the basics so that we can make it more functional again”.  He will say he’s making a break with the “flawed thinking of the last 40 years”.

Become a friend of LabourList and join our community. Our friends support our vital non-factional work and get access to exclusive content and events. 

Subscribe here to our daily newsletter roundup of Labour news, analysis and comment– and follow us on TikTok, Bluesky, WhatsApp, X and Facebook. You can also write to our editor to share your thoughts on our stories and share your own. The best letters are published every Sunday.

• • SHARE: If you have anything to share that we should be looking into or publishing about this story – or any other topic involving Labour– contact us (strictly anonymously if you wish) at [email protected].
  • SUBSCRIBE: Sign up to LabourList’s morning email here for the best briefing on everything Labour, every weekday morning.
  • BECOME A FRIEND: If you enjoyed this, why not consider becoming a Friend of LabourList? Help sustain our journalism, and of course Friends do get benefits…
  • PARTNER: If you or your organisation might be interested in partnering with us on sponsored events or projects, email [email protected].
  • ADVERTISE: If your organisation would like to advertise or run sponsored pieces on LabourList‘s daily newsletter or website, contact our exclusive ad partners Total Politics at [email protected].