Burnham rules out early election, puts social care reform at centre of Labour conference
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham dismissed speculation about an early general election at the start of Labour's party conference and pledged to overhaul social care. A Conservative frontbencher branded the plan a "death and dementia tax".
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham opened his party's conference by ruling out an early general election, following weeks of media speculation that he might call one. The move drew criticism from right-wing newspapers, which accused him of backing down from a plan he had never actually announced.
Burnham took over as prime minister after being involved a year earlier in an unsuccessful attempt to challenge then-Labour leader Keir Starmer. His political standing has since improved: Reform UK's lead in opinion polls has disappeared, and Labour has become notably more competitive, even though energy prices remain very high due to the war in Iran and the cost of living continues to weigh on households.
Interview on care reform
At the start of the conference, Burnham gave the traditional opening interview to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg, in which he said he wanted to create a national care system combining the NHS with social care. He argued the current arrangement is unsustainable, with elderly people either paying heavily for their own care, falling through gaps in support, or unnecessarily occupying hospital beds.
Burnham said details of how the plan would be funded would be set out later and would form part of Labour's platform for the 2029 general election. He also expressed hope for cross-party cooperation on the issue.
Shortly afterwards, however, Conservative politician Chris Philp, appearing as the next guest on the programme, criticised the proposal, describing it as a "death and dementia tax".
