Burnham Delivers Personal Speech at Labour Conference, Touches on Family, AI, and Union

Prime Minister Andy Burnham addressed the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, weaving personal reflections on his family into his speech while touching on key policy areas.

Burnham honored his grandparents and parents, crediting them with guiding his path to becoming Prime Minister. He recounted stories of his grandfather's work and his grandmother's determination to secure a family home, emphasizing their influence on his upbringing. The Prime Minister also revealed that his grandmother's experience with social care inspired his commitment to reform the system. "When I was a new MP in the early 2000s I despaired at what I saw when Kitty went through the system," he stated, recalling his grandmother's engagement ring being stolen in a care home and her savings being used to pay for her care.

He further connected his policy on a national care service to his father, Roy, who recently passed away after battling Alzheimer's. Burnham noted the poignant irony that his father, who had Alzheimer's, did not live to see him become Prime Minister. "If only he had been able to appreciate that moment of the family in Downing Street: The son of a man who failed his 11-plus becoming Prime Minister," he said, becoming emotional.

On welfare reform, Burnham ruled out "crude cuts" to the welfare bill, a topic he largely glossed over. He did not address the rising number of people on disability benefits or suggest new reforms to personal independence payments. Instead, he argued that investing in people to help them find work would ultimately be more cost-effective than the current benefits system. "If we change the way we support people, we will get more people into work and the welfare bill down. Not through crude cuts. That should never be the Labour way," Burnham stated. He acknowledged the nearly one million young people not in work or education, known as Neets, and suggested that his approach to providing work placements or apprenticeships might require more upfront investment.

Defense spending was briefly mentioned, with Burnham acknowledging the challenge of reaching the target of 3% of GDP spent on defense by 2030. He stated that a resilient nation invests in its people and is better equipped to meet NATO obligations. He vowed to stand against threats from Russia or Iran but did not mention China.

Burnham pledged that Britain would become a global leader in artificial intelligence, using its upcoming G20 presidency to develop an international code for the technology. "When Britain takes the presidency of the G20 next year, I will show our new-found confidence as a country, and I will show it to the world by putting AI centre stage and Britain will then work to develop a new global code to capture its benefits while being clear-eyed about its risks," he told delegates.

Regarding the Union, the Prime Minister expressed his determination to prevent the United Kingdom's breakup. He referenced a comment made by SNP leader John Swinney that he would be the last Prime Minister of the UK, stating, "I relay it because I want you to know how it made me feel. Utterly determined to prove him wrong." This commitment was juxtaposed with his broader plan to "devolve more power to places to put them in charge and decide their own destiny."