PM admits he could go ‘all the way’ and propose rejoining the EU
Andy Burnham (Image: Getty)
Andy Burnham has acknowledged he could go “all the way” and propose rejoining the European Union as he considers the UK’s future relationship with Brussels. The Prime Minister, who has blamed Brexit for a decade of drift and division, said he would look at the “pros and cons” of all options.
In his first Labour Party conference speech as leader, the Prime Minister said Brexit had done “more harm than good” and promised to set out the options to the country around the time of a UK-EU summit later this year.
He told the BBC he did not want to leave the issue “hanging” and he wanted to be clear on “where we want Britain to go in the next decade”. Asked whether he wanted the UK to rejoin the bloc, he told the Today programme he wanted to “look at the options”.
“We could stay as we are. That’s definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay,” he told the programme.
But deputy Tory leader Alex Burghart said: “You cannot trust a word Andy Burnham says. Just a few weeks ago he said he wanted to move on from the Brexit arguments and now he is dragging Britain back into them by floating the prospect of rejoining the EU.
“Labour cannot blame a democratic vote from over a decade ago for the consequences of their own economic decisions. While they look backwards, the Conservatives will look forwards.”
Labour’s 2024 election manifesto ruled out joining a customs union, returning to the single market, or allowing the return of freedom of movement with the EU. But Mr Burnham has indicated he is prepared to recommend going beyond those red lines in future.
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Tories back triple lock
Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake said his party is backing the triple lock after Andy Burnham announced plans to downgrade it.
He told Times Radio: “Our plans include the triple lock. The size of the savings you can make from other parts of the welfare system completely dwarf the savings you can make from the triple lock.
“So our position is we keep the triple lock, but we reform benefits in terms of particularly health-related benefits for people of working age. And there’s £50 billion a year to be saved there.
“That completely dwarfs anything Andy Burnham’s announced. And we think that’s the right place to start.”
Tories blast Burnham over Brexit
Deputy Tory leader Alex Burghart hit back at Andy Burnham over his latest Brexit comments.
He said: “You cannot trust a word Andy Burnham says. Just a few weeks ago he said he wanted to move on from the Brexit arguments and now he is dragging Britain back into them by floating the prospect of rejoining the EU.
“Labour cannot blame a democratic vote from over a decade ago for the consequences of their own economic decisions. While they look backwards, the Conservatives will look forwards.”
Energy price cap to rise in January, forecaster predicts
The energy price cap is expected to rise by 16% compared to October, reaching £1,999 a year for a typical dual-fuel household in January 2027, an increase of £276 and the largest rise since January 2023.
Cornwall Insight’s new forecasts suggests a bigger increase is on the way in the new year.
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Tory chairman accuses Burnham of ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’ with triple lock changes
Andy Burnham’s plan to reform the pension triple lock to fund a new national care service is “robbing Peter to pay Paul”, the chairman of the Conservative Party said.
Kevin Hollinrake told BBC Breakfast that the proposal amounts to “taking money out of the pocket of pensioners and using it elsewhere in the system”.
The triple lock, which was introduced in 2011, ensures state pensions rise by whichever is highest out of average earnings growth, inflation or 2.5%.
Mr Hollinrake said the Tories will work with the Prime Minister on social care proposals but would not support funding it by changing the triple lock or tax rises, repeating his party’s calls for welfare cuts.
When he was pressed on whether his party would retain the triple lock as it is if it forms the next government, Mr Hollinrake says it is “still part of our plans” and “I would assume that will be in our manifesto”.
Kevin Hollinrake speaking to the BBC (Image: BBC)
Details about national care service to come next year, Burnham says
Andy Burnham said he has presented his “big vision” for a national care service at the Labour party conference in Liverpool this week, with the detail to come “next year”.
Speaking to Times Radio, the Prime Minister also said there was a “timing question” about when the service would be rolled out.
He told the broadcaster: “What I’ve announced at Labour party conference is the big vision – a national care service that can work to NHS principles because then you can have a system that works from home to hospital and back again, a more efficient way of providing care rather than two systems – and the big enabling decision that unlocks a national care service, which is the adjustment to the triple lock.”
Mr Burnham vowed when the service is rolled out “it will be fully funded”, adding: “We’ll obviously make those proposals next year.”
He said he did not think he could introduce the service as late as 2040 “because the pressure on the NHS by that point – it’s already intolerable”.
UK economy grows faster than first thought
Britain’s economic growth was stronger than first thought in the second quarter of the year, official figures showed.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said UK gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.5% between April and June in a revised set of figures, due to stronger growth in the services sector.
The ONS had previously reported growth of 0.4% for the quarter.
But revisions to past data also revealed growth was weaker than first thought last year, with growth of 1.2% for 2025 as a whole, down from the 1.3% previously recorded.
Treasury does not have ‘huge room for manoeuvre’ ahead of Budget
The Treasury does not have “huge room for manoeuvre” as Chancellor John Healey draws up his first Budget, the Prime Minister has warned.
Asked whether people should “expect to be better-off” after next month’s Budget, Andy Burnham told BBC Breakfast: “We’re thinking all of the time, ‘how do we take a bit of pressure off people, give them some breathing space?’
“It’s why one of the first decisions I took as Prime Minister was to remove VAT off electricity bills, and that will happen on Thursday.”
Mr Burnham said the measure was “something, it’s not everything”.
He continued: “We’ll do something to help people with bus fares next year, the £2 cap for the whole of the year, and then in the Budget we will consider further measures.
“It’s important for me to say that we don’t have huge room for manoeuvre.
“I think people can see that when they look at the financial picture, but within that we will do our best, and we’ll also try to support people who are struggling with the cost of doing business ’cause it’s hard to run a business right now as well.”
John Healey clapping during Andy Burnham’s speech (Image: Getty)
Burnham vows to ‘be honest’ about funding shortfalls in social care plan
Andy Burnham has vowed to “be honest” about any shortfall in his plan to fund a National Care Service, free at the point of use.
He promised to “say where that money is coming from”, leaving the door open to tax rises.
The Prime Minister told Times Radio: “I will put a plan before the country at the next general election where we say this is our national care service, ‘this is how we will fund it’.”
Mr Burnham added that with a care service, “the NHS truly will be able to make savings, cashable savings, from a better social care system”.
He continued: “And then if there’s a shortfall, well, we’d have to be honest about that shortfall and say where that money is coming from.”
Mr Burnham denied he was “getting rid of the whole concept of the triple lock” on the state pension.
He said: “The decision on the triple lock, the adjustment – and it is an adjustment – it’s not getting rid of the whole concept of the triple lock.”
PM considering ‘every possible measure’ to cut ost of living pressures
Andy Burnham has said he is considering “every possible measure” to cut the cost of driving as he faced questions about whether he will stop a planned fuel duty rise next year.
The Prime Minister told BBC Breakfast: “I’m considering everything that might help people in very difficult times and I will be honest and say every possible measure is being looked at.
“The question I’ve got is, ‘how many can I afford?’
“‘What can we do given the state of the public finances?’
“And people wouldn’t thank me for making unfunded payments that then cause pressure on mortgages – and we’ve seen that in the past and we’re not going back there.”
Mr Burnham later added: “We will work hard to take that pressure off people’s shoulders.
“But I would be the first to say it’s hard – and the long-term answer is to put water under stronger public control – energy, housing reform, those are the long-term answers.”
Andy Burnahm (Image: Getty)
Andy Burnham says Brexit options could vary
Andy Burnham says all options are on the table in his upcoming re-evaluation of the UK’s relationship with the European Union, from “stay as we are” up to “all the way”.
The prime minister told Labour’s conference on Tuesday that he would set out “different options” later this year to coincide with a meeting with EU leaders.
That summit had been scheduled for July but was postposed following the resignation of Keir Starmer. A new date has not been set.
Mr Burnham said he would try to “find consensus” in the country on one option to clarify the UK’s long-term position, although did not offer further detail of how this would be measured.
Asked what the options might look like, Burnham tells BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We could stay as we are. That’s definitely an option, if people think this is the right place to stay.”
“We could look at what [former Chancellor] George Osborne has said about a customs union, we could look at what the Liberal Democrats said at their conference about the single market, or we could go all the way.”
“So there are clearly options that need to be considered, and we have to look at what is doable and what would be the pros and cons of each,” he added.