Owing to immaturity, naivity and perhaps downright stupidity, I joined the Labour Party when I was in sixth form – there are photos out there somewhere. I left a few months after signing up, but for a brief blip I was a card carrying comrade who idolised the likes of Ramsay MacDonald, Keir Hardie and Ellen Wilkinson.
Having now shed my red rosette, I can’t help but feel a certain level of sympathy for those who have yet to come around to our way of thinking. Many of them were probably sitting there yesterday, watching on as Andy Burnham delivered his keynote address to Labour Conference, only to be immensely disappointed by what they heard.
In keeping with his blokeish persona, Burnham wandered out onto the stage with neither a tie around his neck nor a podium to speak from. He began by announcing that Labour were going to “draw a line on a decade of division” in a move that will fill “Britain with belief again. People with hope again.” The camera panned to a who looked on with what can only be described as a look of mild contempt. Me too, Dawn. Me too.
The speech contained the normal platitudes that lefties would adore. A few jokes about Liz Truss here, a critique of the 1980s there – Burnham recognised his audience and put on a very well received show, if only well received by those who read . He railed against the right of British politics, proclaiming that “the British right talk about taking back control. Never let them forget they are the ones that gave it away in the first place.”
Yeah, yeah Andy, we get it. Right wingers are monstrously evil and anyone who takes their black Labrador to their countryside pub and orders an ale is a . Sure.
The first major announcement came in reference to housing policy. Under new government plans, absent landlords “who refuse to reinvest” anything in the upkeep of their properties will face warnings from local councils. And, if they so choose to ignore these warnings, will have their properties seized by the local authority. The same will occur for empty properties, with mayors and the like given new powers to seize control of unoccupied residences. I don’t think I need to explain to the readers of how insane such an idea is.
In what world does the government have a right to take away property, solely because you are not doing what would like you to do with it. What the British public choose to do with their properties is, above all else, their choice, and to gift such extraordinary powers to local authorities seems entirely out of proportion to the problem at hand.
Then came the announcement that Burnham would repeal “Margaret Thatcher’s ideological ban on public ownership of water companies.” By Jove! It only took him about 20 minutes to mention Mrs T! She still lives on, it appears, just rent free and in the head of Mr Burnham. Putting the well documented criticisms of public ownership to one side, the ability to enforce these new rules and standards would, you guessed it, be provided through granting more powers to mayors and local authorities.
It’s all rather humorous. Earlier this week, I penned a piece arguing that Burnham reaches for the soundbite to shield himself from scrutiny, but my diagnosis appears to have been slightly incorrect. No, Mr Burnham doesn’t solely opt for the soundbite – he opts for devolution too. Sorry, I digress. Back to the speech.
Following on from this was a brief mention of the ‘Great British Grid’, and then came a declaration of war against the established pensioner oligarchy. The triple lock would be done away with from 2030 onwards.
The unfair and unsustainable policy would be axed – replaced instead with a sort of , wherein it would increase every year by either inflation or 2.5 per cent. “I accept I may pay a political price” for such a move, he said, “but someone has to go through the pain barrier and rip the plaster off.” I salute you, Andy. Throwing yourself at the mercy of the P&O Cruise-enjoying class is really rather a dangerous move. Who knows, our PM might get assaulted with a walking stick if he’s not careful.
The remainder of the speech was fairly lackluster. A few hints were offered that Burnham may opt for closer ties with the EU, and he pledged to shelve first past the post if Labour were returned to government in 2030. Of course, he left it for the audience to figure out exactly what he would replace it with, but I suppose that’s part of the fun.
But whilst many will complain about specific policy announcements and the like, Burnham seemed unable to offer much meaningful change bar a few jibes at Thatcher and privatisation. The bulk of his speech was pushed far into the future, away from the prying eyes of the electorate. Things that couldn’t be delivered now, but that would be promised a few years down the line.
He seemed to be ensnared by Labour’s 2024 Manifesto, reluctant to move away from it in fear of having the word ‘mandate’ screamed at him by the right-wing press. And this, I believe, is the real story about Burnham’s speech. It’s not about the headlines discussing the nationalisation of water, or the hordes of Gen-Zers taking to to celebrate the abolition of the triple lock. It’s that the meaningful stuff that Burnham set out will happen far into the future. 2030 is quite a long way away. They say that a week is a long time in politics, so Lord knows what 4 years is.
Perhaps, then, this is why I felt a tad sorry for the Labour members who were watching, eagerly cheering on the man they believed would bring them back from the edge of political extinction. I have no doubt that Burnham is an experienced political communicator. No matter one’s political persuasions, they can just sort of like the chap. He comes across well, as someone you could share a pint with at your local.
But whilst those on the left were enamoured by the King in the North, I find myself at odds with such a view not simply out of spite or political indifference, but because of reality. Burnham used his speech yesterday as an opportunity to express vulnerability. He turned to both Labour members and the wider electorate, and demonstrated to them the constraints in which he was operating.
And, in doing so, he showed that – unless he receives a renewed mandate – he will be a near carbon copy of Keir Starmer, albeit with slightly better hair.
Because when I listened to Burnham deliver his speech yesterday, I so desperately wanted to come away with a feeling of hope. And yet instead, I remembered why I left the party all those years ago.