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In what might be his longest monologue ever, James O'Brien reacts to Burnham's 'remarkable' party conference speech.
The Prime Minister pledged to create a "Britain worth fighting for" as he vowed to scrap the triple lock, prioritise social care, and overhaul housing.
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0:00
An interesting morning, isn't it? I don't know about you, and I fully appreciate that not everybody would have been either able or willing or keen to listen to the entirety of Andy Burnham's conference speech yesterday
0:12
But I shall share with you some of the sort of key moments in the course of this morning, probably sooner rather than later
0:17
It was, I think, by most accounts, the most remarkable conference speech of most of our lifetimes in the sense of going to places that party leaders either can't or haven't gone to before, saying things that are, well, kind of understood by people in the corridors of power but never articulated or very rarely articulated or couched in the kind of preventative
0:47
Barrication and pontification that sometimes perhaps typifies the openings of the time that we spend together, but which generally involve avoiding obvious truths because people are too frightened of the consequences of saying them, whether the consequences are electoral or simply a monstering from the media
1:07
I mean, which three would you pick? Electoral reform, oddly, would historically be one of the things that leaders would be too frightened to say
1:15
You'll never lead alone again is the general response to trying to make our democracy more democratic
1:22
Rejoining, returning to Europe. I don't even know what word to use to describe people still clinging to the carcass of the idea that that is not a necessary and inevitable step
1:32
And promising a reduction in spending for the elderly. And that's the greatest one of all, isn't it
1:39
You can't do that. They're the ones that vote. You can't do that. They're the demographic that decides who is going to govern
1:45
But you can't. And so much ignorance. We touched on it yesterday. Dare I say we heard already some more of it this morning
1:52
So much ignorance. How many people do you think who are waxing and waning and gnashing their teeth and clutching their pearls about a change to the triple lock pension system that will just make it fairer from the point of view of the entire population
2:07
by ensuring that pensions continue to rise in a way that is commensurate
2:12
with how the rest of the country is experiencing the economy. But how many people do you think who have thrown their toys out of their pram this morning
2:20
and, of course, being encouraged to do so by all of the usual suspects
2:24
I may run through the front pages in a moment. Burnham's triple shock, the most left-wing speech by a PM since the 1970s, Daily Mail
2:33
It's a crying shame for our nation. And I don't know that any of them are reminding their readers
2:37
It's only been in place for 16 years, this policy. And I don't know if you've heard anybody completely misunderstanding this morning the role that inflation and earnings will play in the new triple lot
2:49
But it's been suspended before under a conservative government. It's been suspended when inflation was so high that it would have delivered utterly unreachable rises to pensioners
3:01
and there already is the problem and Andy Burnham recognises this problem
3:08
I'm probably going to go all in today I've got to tell you you will have sensed when Keir Starmer became Prime Minister
3:13
that I desperately wanted him to be the thing that the country needed
3:18
but I never quite fully, completely believed it and I kept saying
3:22
I'm just waiting for him to find that new gear I know he's got it and I didn't know he had it
3:26
I just wanted him to discover it he never did and I think we can say now
3:30
he was never going to Andy Burnham, in that speech yesterday, did the opposite of what Keir Starmer did in his early weeks of government
3:38
in that he, Starmer dashed our hopes in many ways that we were really going to see significant and meaningful change
3:44
or at least an attempt at significant and meaningful change. Andy Burnham yesterday confirmed he's up for it
3:52
He might not succeed, but he will go down fighting for a better Britain, for a healthier, wealthier and kinder country
4:00
So if you hear anybody pretending not to understand the relationship between politics and hope, because, of course, there has never been a prime minister whose job was not to engender hope in the electorate
4:12
It's insane to pretend that you don't understand that. Margaret Thatcher sold hope to the electorate
4:18
John Major sold hope to the electorate. Tony Blair sold hope to the electorate
4:22
Andy Burnham's not doing anything new. He's just reflecting the hopelessness that so many people feel in this country at the moment
4:29
it's neither new nor revolutionary but it's rather wonderful to hear and he nailed it
4:37
he recognised the things that politicians in this country have either been
4:42
too frightened or too I think in Liz Truss's case too stupid
4:46
to acknowledge and they were supposed to be things that you're not
4:50
supposed to say most obviously returning to Europe, electoral reform and reducing spending for the elderly
4:59
Thank you to everybody who noticed that he nicked a line from me. That's incredibly flattering, actually
5:04
In the past, if a politician nicks a line from a radio presenter, it isn't necessarily flattering, but on this occasion
5:09
I was delighted to hear him use the monopoly metaphor that I've been hitting you over the head with for the last month or so
5:15
and the way in which you can use it to express the fundamental madness
5:19
of, you know, building, putting hotels and houses, as it were, on our utility companies
5:28
Even on the Monopoly board, transport and utilities are exempt from the worst excesses of reckless profiteering
5:35
They are exempt from some of the worst impacts of the free market or market economics
5:41
And our country is not. And Andy Burnham wants to return it to a place when it was
5:48
And the thing that intrigued me was the – because I'm weird and this is what I think of second or third when I wake up in the morning
5:58
How are the usual suspects going to deal with this? How are the people that told you Brexit was going to make us richer, Boris Johnson was going to keep us safe
6:06
Liz Truss was an economic genius. Donald Trump would prove to be a reliable and loyal ally to the United Kingdom
6:13
Climate change was made up and there was nothing to worry about. How are all the people, because forgive me for reminding me of this every single day, they dominate public discourse in this country
6:24
They dominate newspaper editorials and an awful lot of people who broadcast for a living take their lines from the newspapers And those are the five things Those are the five big victories of the people who today have charged themselves with finding negative things to say about Andy
6:40
Barnum. The people who had nothing negative to say about Brexit, nothing negative to say about
6:44
Boris Johnson, nothing negative to say about Liz Truss, nothing negative to say about Donald Trump
6:49
Indeed, they would describe the people who were clear-eyed about Donald Trump, the reality of
6:54
Donald Trump is suffering from some sort of derangement syndrome. And people who had only negative things to say about scientists describing the imminence of climate disaster
7:08
So what's the question that we want to answer together today? I think, I mean, in the first instance, and perhaps most obviously, it would just be straight reactions
7:17
but any reaction any conversation about reactions to this speech is going to be leavened by the context
7:25
in which it is conducted I might run you through a little later how ridiculous Kemi Badenoch has already
7:31
made herself appear by gunning for the triple lock review when she and most of
7:37
her key allies and senior politicians have acknowledged both privately and publicly that something must
7:42
be done about it and now that somebody's doing something about it the politics that Andy
7:47
Burnham was was describing yesterday the politics of meaningless division kicks in immediately
7:52
um Richard Tice was on with Nick earlier just I mean God knows why I don't think the man's ever
7:57
strung together a sentient sentence in his life he just sort of speaks in Twitter flavored soundbites
8:02
and makes even less sense I think when he's talking than when he's sitting there blowing
8:07
bubbles but that's that's how it works you know the the newspapers the client journalists the
8:13
pretend politicians and what's left of the Tory party just say, well, we must attack, we must
8:18
attack, we must attack. We don't want to be healthier, wealthier, and kinder in this country
8:23
We want to carry on as we are. And that's a crucial point. That's a crucial point, because
8:31
you see it perhaps with these often embellished, exaggerated stories about rich people leaving the
8:37
country. And weirdly, the British public are encouraged to think that that's evidence of
8:43
something bad when if you think about it we have spent 50 years essentially operating under economic
8:51
conditions that are designed to enrich the rich this isn't communism or even socialism nothing
8:57
wrong with being rich being rich is great but there are degrees of richness and and if you look
9:02
at the relationship for example between um the lowest paid person in a company and the highest
9:08
paid person in the company, or the amount of money a company makes that is reinvested
9:13
into research and development, or in the case of water companies, fixing infrastructure
9:17
If you look at the relationship between those things, it's been completely broken over 50 years
9:21
And it's been broken by economics and ideologies that pretend to believe that when the tide
9:28
rises, all boats rise. That when you make the riches, or rather that riches trickle down
9:34
that when you create your economy in a way that is designed to allow big businesses and individuals
9:40
to make ever more enormous sums of money, then somehow we will all benefit
9:47
That's the sale, right? That is the post-1979 economic model. Even Tony Blair didn't really break from that tradition
9:54
albeit that he used some of the money that made its way into the Treasury's coffers to help the people that needed help or the people that deserved help
10:01
or the people that wanted help as opposed to the people who just want to help themselves
10:06
And that you need to ask yourself, you need to say to yourself
10:12
has it worked? That's it. It struck me halfway through the speech yesterday
10:21
Has it worked? So we've spent 50 years doing all the things they wanted us to do
10:26
deregulating, denationalizing. He hit these marks, didn't he? He made these points
10:31
That's the question you need to ask yourself. That's the only thing you need to do. And in many ways, it's the only thing that was missing explicitly from the speech was the question
10:40
Has it worked? Deregulating. Denationalizing. Has it worked? Has it worked? They've had 50 years to prove to you that this would make the country a better place, that it would create more jobs, more wealth
10:54
All the things they told you would do all of those things, whether it's Brexit right through to Boris Johnson
10:58
has it worked? Now, the weird thing about this is that the people who are going to be shouting the loudest today
11:09
about how awful, or the people being encouraged to shout the loudest today about how awful Andy Burnham is
11:15
are the people who are the most convinced that it hasn't worked
11:20
This is really important. I hope that doesn't sound pompous. But it underpins and explains so much
11:27
of what Andy Burnham was talking about when he described our divisive politics
11:33
You, perhaps, and I'll have a look at my inbox shortly, but you, perhaps, have already been persuaded
11:38
that the triple lock has been abolished or broken or that pensions are going to be means-tested
11:42
None of that is true. I'll explain later. Why do people want to persuade you of that
11:47
Answer because they're terrified or spooked by what Andy Burnham represents. What does Andy Burnham represent
11:53
First and foremost, a recognition that it hasn't worked. But deregulation and denationalization and putting all of the power in the hands of the people who have all of the money has not worked
12:05
And bizarrely, bizarrely and heartbreakingly, the people who will be most easily persuaded that Andy Burnham is a menace are exactly the same people who are most convinced that the country is in a hole
12:23
Isn't that incredible? the people trying to persuade you that the country is that that andy burnham is him is a menace are
12:31
the people who dug the hole it's a bit like that line about whether or not you are a mug or a
12:39
billionaire there are only two types of people who would for example vote for nigel fraridge to be
12:44
prime minister mugs or billionaires and it's very easy to check which you are you can just go to your
12:49
bank account. And then you can find out, are you a mug or are you a billionaire? But it's similar
12:54
here. Has it worked? The things you've been persuaded to support. Brexit, Boris Johnson
13:00
deregulation denationalisation Donald Trump as a doughty ally of this island nation all of those things that they told you to support all of those things that they somehow persuaded you would make your life better they all made your life worse
13:15
And for the first time in my life, a politician made those points clearly, passionately, and concisely, well, maybe not concisely
13:22
on stage in Liverpool yesterday. So you can tell from my voice I'm not excited
13:28
because I hate hope, as you know. It's the hope that gets you every time
13:32
the despair I can deal with, the despair I'm used to. But I don't think I expected to see a speech like that from a prime minister in my lifetime
13:40
Maybe an opposition leader, because I think that you can oppose in poetry
13:45
but you have to govern in prose. And Burnham yesterday somehow managed to build a bridge between poetry and prose
13:52
and also build a bridge between the past and the future, going right back to that shift in our national story in 1979
14:01
when the, if you like, the promotion of selfishness became our island story
14:05
and reflecting upon the consequences of that. Remember, if you don't like what you're hearing
14:10
just ask yourself, has it worked? Has it worked for you? Andy Burnham wants to fix things
14:21
I don't know whether he can or not, but he wants to try
14:26
So I'm going to hit the junction now. I'll come back, play you some bits of the speech
14:29
and then you will tell me. I'm not doing a Bob today. Stop asking me to do a Bob
14:33
We only do Bobs on Mondays. Bob, if you don't know, is the Burnham Optimism Barometer
14:37
which for some people getting in touch with the programme seems to have broken. It's a bit like the amp in Spinal Tap
14:42
It only goes up to 10, but I'm getting 11s coming into it. And that's the thing
14:47
That's the first and most important thing a politician can provide an electorate with
14:53
It's hope. That is literally the most precious commodity, even more precious than money
14:59
I know that sounds odd, but it is the difference between waking up with hope in your heart
15:04
and waking up without hope in your heart. As many very rich people demonstrate on a daily basis
15:09
you can be as rich as Croesus and as miserable as sin. But hope, hope is a happy thing
15:14
A healthier, wealthier, kinder country. And that's it. That's the divide. Is that what you want
15:21
Or do you think things have worked? Do you think the last 50 years of doing things their way has worked
15:28
And if anyone asks you about the question of hope, what they're really asking you is, don't you prefer hate
15:37
This bloke keeps going on about hope. I've spent my entire career peddling hate
15:42
I mean, who do you prefer? The bloke peddling hate or the bloke peddling hope
15:46
You look at Nigel Farage, you look at Kemi Badernaut, they're peddling hate. They're still peddling hate of different degrees and different flavours
15:54
But that's the difference. That's why it spooks them so much when he says it out loud
15:59
They can't say that out loud because people might work out that I'm only really in the business of selling hate
16:05
And hope is something everyone can feel. Unless, of course, you think it's worked
16:11
Unless you think it's worked. Given that he nicked my monopoly line, which I will remind you of shortly
16:16
then possibly he's going to nick this next. Has it actually worked for you? It's mad when you think about how the populists and the racists
16:23
who dominate our political discourse in so many ways at the moment are always peddling the idea that you've been let down
16:29
that you've been betrayed. And, of course, they try to blame it on recent arrivals
16:35
or people of colour or, I don't know, black men on television
16:40
or whatever it is this week. And the real question, which Andy Burnham hit yesterday
16:44
was have the consequences of deregulation, denationalisation and destruction, actually, of social capital
16:55
has it worked for you? In no particular order, I think we'll begin with housing
17:03
because that's the ultimate social capital. I got taught this by you, that capital is not just material
17:11
As a member of a society, you should have social capital. Access to the NHS free at the point of care is social capital
17:17
something really valuable that you own of course in many ways utilities were social capital
17:24
before they were sold off and the new National Social Care Service
17:28
will be social capital but perhaps the most obviously social capital is
17:32
social housing, housing that belongs in a sense to a society and the members
17:38
of that society who need it most can live in it and he gets that well anyway, listen for yourself
17:44
Go to almost any town across Britain and you will see plenty of empty homes. We will give councils the power
17:53
to take control of them and bring them back into the public housing stock
18:07
You will see rented homes in a poor state of repair too, on so many British streets
18:15
which harm the health of the people inside and drag down the streets around them
18:22
The worst of it, often owned by absent landlords who are paid through the benefit system
18:29
but refuse to reinvest anything in the upkeep of the property. And, of course, stuff on the tweaking to right-to-buy as well
18:37
which we'll have a look at shortly. That is huge, and that is one of the biggest issues
18:42
facing most communities, and indeed many families. And I guess, I mean, on a less immediate footing
18:51
you would have to have a look at what he has to say about the social care
18:56
And by less immediate, I mean, he stuck a date on it, but he needed and succeeded in explaining exactly why it was necessary
19:06
Care that is about people, not profit, which gives peace of mind over care needs in later life
19:15
which protects people's homes and their savings and gives proper recognition to the care workers
19:24
we will all need to rely on at some point in our lives
19:30
Conference, this is the National Care Service we will build. They all known that needed to be done And he is not the first prime minister to try or to announce it but i don think anyone has done so quite so with their full chest as the kids say and and a lot of the
19:49
reason why some politicians haven't addressed this is because it's too big a mountain to climb
19:54
and that for me was the essence of yesterday's speech yeah these mountains are bloody huge
19:59
but we have no choice but to try to climb them that that is the message and if he fails he fails
20:06
but goodness me, spare me another electoral cycle in which they don't even try to get up these mountains
20:12
And of course one of the biggest things we need if we're to start climbing the economic mountains
20:16
that are in front of us is this. I say this to you and the country
20:21
We will not give Britain the clear path we need into the rest of this century
20:25
until we decide on a long-term relationship with what is still our largest market
20:32
Thank you. I cannot say to you truthfully that where we are is good enough
20:49
Brexit has done more harm than good. We need to restore a higher level of growth and prosperity for Britain
21:06
So I will take the opportunity around the summit to lay out to you, to lay out to the country, what I believe the different options are for Britain's long-term relationship with our European partners
21:20
And there are different options. And I will see if we can find consensus around one, which will give us clarity about our position and the future of the continent that we live in
21:35
How have we become a country where him stating something as simple, straightforward and self-evident as that is even vaguely controversial
21:43
It's as if he'd stood there and said, conference, the pope is a Catholic
21:47
Conference, comrades, bears, shalalalala in the woods. Conference, Brexit has hurt us economically
21:59
I mean, madness. You see, you think I exaggerate sometimes about the stranglehold that the usual suspects have on our discourse
22:08
But there's a perfect example of it. And the breaking of that stranglehold, the breaking of that stranglehold, I think, involves humanity, actually
22:18
And I can't remember a prime minister or perhaps even a politician that was so ineffably human
22:26
Ian Dunn, one of my favourite writers uses the phrase in his substact this week
22:31
yesterday, emotional presence an emotional presence and I don't know whether it's got anything
22:39
to do with public school but I've told you a few times if you go to a school like mine you are
22:43
encouraged to repress your emotions you are encouraged to be emotionally absent
22:47
you are encouraged to have a stiff upper lip and that's not
22:51
healthy and it robs you of empathy, it robs you of the ability to
22:55
imagine what it's like to be somebody else what it's like to walk in somebody else's shoes because
22:59
you're so busy denying your own pain and I didn't make this up by the way there's a whole school of
23:06
psychology that reflects what they call boarding school syndrome you're so busy trying to deny your
23:10
own pain you become absolutely anesthetized to anybody else's so make no mistake his emotional
23:18
presence, his emotional literacy, a crucial part of his project. It's very hard for me to put into words the emotion I feel standing here before you all
23:32
For me, life truly has come full circle, because this is where my story began. My granddad
23:40
drove a lorry along these docks for Tate and Lyle. My grand Kitty inherited the drive of her Irish ancestors
23:51
She walked three miles out of the bombed-out city after the war to put a deposit down on her house
23:59
Without Jimmy's knowledge, actually. I wouldn't do that to you, John, wherever you are, Chancellor
24:10
She put a deposit down on her house, the house where I was born
24:20
It changed the fortunes of my family. It was where my mum and dad started off, built a partnership
24:28
and went on to create our own family home and filled it with life, love, and laughter
24:35
Eileen and Roy gave me a care for people forged by her faith, his politics
24:45
and the values of this great city we are in again for our conference
24:51
they guided me to the point where I stand before you today
25:01
ours is the same story of so many families British families of my generation
25:07
A story of working class aspiration. And on he goes. How big is this moment
25:14
Let's just do it. You can say it's not big at all, James. But of course that involves saying things are going absolutely brilliantly for me
25:20
I don't know what everybody else is moaning about. Life's never been better. Because that is the only way you can logically support the alternative
25:27
to what Andy Burnham is offering. Because that is the status quo. Everything's going great
25:32
I can think of a few people who would argue that. I've got no complaints about the state of my life and situation
25:39
but hell, that's not patriotism, is it? You're supposed to care about other people
25:44
That's what patriotism is, not shinning up a lamppost with a tatty flag, but speaking about looking after people who need to be looked after
25:50
and recognising the value of community and social capital. Yeah, go on
25:56
Feel free to rain on my parade or wee on my chips or however you want to describe it, but I think this is huge
26:01
Win or lose, succeed or fail. He's finally provided the diagnosis that the country needed
26:11
So for you, how big is this moment? How significant was this speech
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