- Published
The key thing to understand about Andy Burnham's speech is these were the words and the delivery of both a new prime minister and a grieving son.
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these → publish → minister
Burnham is living through two life-shaping, even life-defining moments right now – becoming and adjusting to being prime minister during the final weeks of his dad Roy's life, and preparing his speech while dealing with the grief of his loss.
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Burnham → live → loss
The funeral will take place in a few days' time.
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funeral → take → time
Reflections on his dad's life and influence formed the personal spine to this deeply political speech, which ranged far and wide.
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which → form → speech
Labour figures are enthused that they now have a leader with what they see as a clear sense of purpose that can be easily articulated.
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that → enthuse → purpose
What stood out in this speech was its breadth.
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stood → stand → speech
His pitch could, very broadly, be divided into the short term - what he hopes to achieve before a general election; and the long term - the prospectus he is beginning to assemble to put to the country when polling day comes around inside the next three years.
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day → divide → years
The biggest ideas have the longest timeframe and, perhaps, the greatest need for a lengthy debate in their gestation.
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ideas → have → gestation
Previous attempts to do so, by both Labour and the Conservatives, haven't survived the intensity of a general election campaign, having been announced close to an election.
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attempts → survive → election
The aim of Burnham's plan is to seed a conversation now about what a new system might look like – the idea being that the argument is won in advance.
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argument → seed → advance
Let's see.
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's → let → ?
The debate is only just beginning.
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debate → begin → ?
The plan to fund this by making increases in the state pension from 2030 less generous than they are now was more detailed than some expected at this stage.
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some → fund → stage
The triple lock means the state pension currently increases annually in line with inflation, average wage growth or 2.5%, whichever is highest.
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whichever → mean → inflation
But from April 2030, if Labour win the next election, the annual earnings link will be dropped.
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link → win → election
It would, Labour figures say, be increased further if needed, to ensure that it stays above 30% of the full time average wage.
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it → say → wage
Knowing they would face blunt criticism about binning the existing triple lock – note the reaction of the Unite union and Labour's political rivals – it would appear the prime minister was keen to offer as much of what he hopes will be reassuring detail to many.
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he → know → many
Also going into the next Labour manifesto, he said, a change in the Westminster voting system and – after a review to come – the idea of a closer relationship with the European Union.
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he → go → Union
How much closer, with what trade offs and prompting what reaction, we don't yet know.
And from the longer term stuff to the here and now – including housing reform in England, more public control of the water industry and the electricity grid.
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we → prompt → industry
There was an energy and sense of urgency to Burnham's pitch and without question he has created a battalion of dividing lines with Labour's political opponents which are likely to dominate the debate ahead.
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which → be → debate
His cabinet and many in his party are relishing the battle of ideas the prime minister has set up and is enthusiastically leaning into.
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minister → relish → ideas
It was noteworthy that beyond a broad reference to Labour's opponents on the Right, the party's rivals didn't get a mention in a speech lasting more than an hour.
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rivals → get → hour
The question is: does he and his government have the capacity to deliver?
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he → have → capacity
And do they have the capacity to convince you, the voter, they have a vision you regard as coherent, appealing and affordable?
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you → have → vision
You hardly need reminding of the backdrop that contributed to thwarting many of his recent, many predecessors: a persistently sclerotic economy and a persistently turbulent international picture, for starters.
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that → need → starters
Neither will make turning all of this into a reality straightforward.
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turning → make → reality
The Aporia
