Burnham blames Brexit and Thatcher for ‘wrong turns’ in first Commons speech as PM
The prime minister said Britain needed to be brutally honest about the mistakes of the last 40 years of UK politics Andy Burnham has blamed Brexit and Margaret Thatcher for a decade of low growth in the UK, arguing that Britain needs to be brutally honest about having taken “a series of wrong turns” in the last 40 years. In his first Commons appearance since he took over as prime minister around six weeks ago, Burnham told MPs he wanted to build a new sense of optimism so “we can make this next decade better than the last”. Hinted that he would commit to spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, saying he had appointed John Healey as his chancellor “precisely because” of his position on military spending. Signalled he is open to renationalising the water industry – saying he is looking at “all possible solutions”, as the sector is a “leaking monument” to the failures of privatisation. Opened the door to looking again at electoral reform in Labour’s next manifesto. “I do believe there needs to be a mandate to make that change. There are different views in this house, but I believe we will need to get a consensus at the next election. And if there is that consensus, then a change can be
The prime minister said Britain needed to be brutally honest about the mistakes of the last 40 years of UK politics Andy Burnham has blamed Brexit and Margaret Thatcher for a decade of low growth in the UK, arguing that Britain needs to be brutally honest about having taken “a series of wrong turns” in the last 40 years. In his first Commons appearance since he took over as prime minister around six weeks ago, Burnham told MPs he wanted to build a new sense of optimism so “we can make this next decade better than the last”. Hinted that he would commit to spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, saying he had appointed John Healey as his chancellor “precisely because” of his position on military spending. Signalled he is open to renationalising the water industry – saying he is looking at “all possible solutions”, as the sector is a “leaking monument” to the failures of privatisation. Opened the door to looking again at electoral reform in Labour’s next manifesto. “I do believe there needs to be a mandate to make that change. There are different views in this house, but I believe we will need to get a consensus at the next election. And if there is that consensus, then a change can be
