The Prime Minister is right – radical action is needed to fix the problems of the country

Prime Minister Andy Burnham made a speech today (29 September) at Labour Conference in Liverpool in which he acknowledged the scale of the problems facing the country, many caused by Brexit.

He made a variety of announcements including the formation of a new publicly owned Great British Grid, the end of the pension triple lock, a new long-term relationship with the EU and plans to create a National Care System.

Mike Clancy, General Secretary of Prospect, said:

“In his speech today the Prime Minister rightly recognised that radical action will be needed to address many of the problems this country faces.

“In particular his recognition that Brexit has failed Britain and that a sensible conversation about our future relationship is desperately needed.

“In that conversation every option must be on the table. The option which delivers the greatest growth and the best deal for working people is the one that puts Britain back at the table as a full member of the European Union.

“The development of GB Energy Grid will be important for our members working in the energy system. We will be pressing to make sure that it comes with a proper workforce plan, as the biggest constraint on the energy system right now is a lack of the skilled engineers and others we need to deliver the scale of work required.”