A circuit breaker. That’s what Andy Burnham has promised the British public. And at Labour conference this week he will have his first chance to set out how he’ll deliver it.

After a disastrous year of polling that consistently showed Reform could form the next government, a landmark MRP poll has shown Labour is back on course to win the next election. And there is a palpable sense of hope as delegates arrive in my home city of Liverpool.

But honeymoon periods can sometimes be short and the British public are impatient for change.

For too long, and for too many, Britain has felt broken – with pay packets stretched thin, high streets boarded up, and public services under constant strain. 

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The new Prime Minister hit the ground running over the summer with a spate of policies to give families and businesses some breathing space.But the government is going to need to go far further and faster to support people in the months ahead. At TUC Congress in Brighton last week, unions set four ways Andy Burnham can start.

First, he can cut people’s energy bills with a social tariff – and tax the big banks to pay for it. 

Britain’s big four banks are making over £1 billion a week, while the financial sector paid out £25 billion in bonuses last year – a post-crash record. At a time when too many working people face the impossible choice between heating and eating, it’s clear who can afford to pay more.

Second, he can end the rampant insecurity that makes budgeting a nightmare for working families.

It shouldn’t be too much to ask for workers to know how many hours they’re going to work each week. But too many companies have become addicted to insecure work, cancelling shifts at short notice, and leaving workers in the lurch. Labour was elected on a pledge to stamp out these exploitative zero and variable hours contracts – and it’s time to deliver.

Third, deliver the biggest ever wave of public sector insourcing. 

I’ve met far too many workers up and down the country delivering vital public services but denied the security that comes with a public sector job. Bare minimum pensions, no proper sick pay, and bounced from one private employer to another. All the while, big outsourcing companies are making a fortune at the public’s expense.

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Enough is enough – It’s time to end the outsourcing scandal and crack down on the privatised services fleecing the public.

And fourth, help young people back into work. The government’s jobs guarantee is a good start, but it needs to go further and be available sooner to unemployed young people.

The government spends 25 times more on dealing with the consequences of youth unemployment through the benefits system than it does on supporting them into employment. 

And if a young person cannot physically get to the college, the interview, the apprenticeship or the job, nothing else the system offers matters. That’s why we’re calling for more financial support to keep young people in education or training – and free bus travel for under 22s to get them there.

These policies are not a panacea but a starting point – a clear demonstration of whose side the government is on, and a way to begin building an economy that works for working people. 

A fairer economy, genuine public control over life’s essentials, and a decent chance in life for our young people. That’s the circuit breaker this country needs. 

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