Wedaeli Chibelushi
Live page reporter

This morning, Burnham took up the opportunity to expand on his big conference speech, talking to BBC programmes about issues such as Brexit, the triple lock pension scheme and the energy crisis.

You can read more about what he covered in our previous post. As he defended his address, reaction from politicians and experts continued to roll in.

Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake said Burnham's plan to adjust the triple lock amounts to "taking money out of the pocket of pensioners and using it elsewhere".

The Institute for Fiscal Studies told BBC Breakfast it is not possible to predict how much money triple lock changes could save, after the government's assertion it could save billions.

Meanwhile, care home chief Mike Padgham said Burnham's plans for a new national care service point to progress, but ultimately do not go far enough.

And our cost of living correspondent Kevin Peachey explains there's no easy option for the PM over the looming energy crisis.

Burnham said today more will be revealed in the upcoming Budget, set to be announced next month, arguing that Britain cannot be fixed in the short term.

We're ending our live coverage here, but you can read more from Burnham's interview with the BBC in our story.

Following his first speech at the Labour party conference as PM yesterday, Andy Burnham was interviewed by BBC Radio 4's Today programme to discuss his announcements in more detail.

Brexit: Burnham says Britain's withdrawal from the European Union has caused "more harm than good", and we need to consider different options for the UK's future relationship with Europe. He said he'd like to rejoin "in my lifetime".

Energy crisis: It isn't an "overstatement" to say the UK faces another energy crisis this winter, the PM said. He is "doing what he can" by reducing VAT off bills, but concedes "not going to meet all of those pressures".

Electoral reform: Burnham defended his pledge to change the voting system, saying a national commission will be set up to explore reforms alongside other political parties. The PM says the Supplementary Vote system he was elected under in Manchester "led to better politics" as it forced politicians to reach out to voters who may not have backed their party.

Triple lock: The PM's proposed changes to the triple lock from 2030 are designed to fund the new national social care system. Pressed on whether it is hitting pensioners rather than the wealthiest, Burnham defends his policy saying the changes would support pensioners "at risk of paying ruinous care costs".

Long-term policy changes: Defending criticism that his policies are too far away from being implemented, Burnham said "I don't think Britain can be fixed in the short term", as he argued the UK had been "on the wrong path for a long time".

Kevin Peachey
Cost of living correspondent

The PM admits there’s another energy crisis looming. It’s only a few years since the last, but his options to support billpayers aren’t all the same.

There’s no chance of a repeat of the energy price guarantee that capped everyone’s bills in late 2022. Bills aren’t forecast to be as high and such a policy is very expensive.

More of a possibility is a boost to the Warm Home Discount, which currently knocks £150 off winter bills for those on low incomes. But, would it make much of a dent in the forecast £276 rise in a typical annual bill?

The introduction of a social tariff, that offers discounted bills to the most vulnerable – similar to the water and broadband sectors, has widespread support. But it could take a while to implement and there’s the thorny issue of who funds it – other billpayers, taxpayers or business.

And there is pressure to fund a debt relief plan for households still owing money from the last crisis.

All in all, there are no easy options for the PM and chancellor.

Of course, a truce in the Iran war and ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz might well provide the best solution of all by bringing international energy prices back down.

The prime minister's proposal for a new national care service is progress, but does not go far enough to reform the social care system, according to the president of the Independent Care Group.

Mike Padgham, who operates five care homes in North Yorkshire, tells Radio 4's Today programme he was disappointed to hear that accommodation will be not be free under the new service, which would only cover the cost of care.

If we're judging the NHS and social care together, Padgham says the new system "should be free at the point of need".

"I know it's going to be costly but we are already spending a significant amount in the NHS on people who are ready to be discharged," Padgham says, adding that it's "not necessarily more money, it's just spending it in a different way".

Asked how you determine what is a care cost and what is a residential cost, he adds that providers would have to take into account the cost of staffing, food and accommodation, in a similar way to a hotel.

Chris from Angelsey has recently retired and is receiving the state pension. He tells BBC Radio 5 Live that his council tax, electricity bill, oil bill and food shop "wipe out" the £12,548 he receives a year.

"The cost of living is so high now that the state pension is almost laughable", the 68-year-old says.

Chris argues the UK should be on par with pensions available elsewhere in Europe, where the state pension is higher.

But Terry, 74, from north Wales notes that each country has different tax regimes and "obviously the amount of tax collected has a beating on the amount that can be paid out on benefits, including pension".

He goes on to say the focus should be on the poorest in society, "and the poorest in our society are young families with children and also young people who are struggling to get jobs".

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned it is not possible to predict how much money will be saved by reforming the pension triple lock.

The government says doing so could save £15bn a year by 2040, money which Andy Burnham has committed to investing in a new national social care service.

But Hellen Miller of the IFS tells BBC Breakfast it's uncertain, and that it's possible the changes to the triple lock could meet those savings, or save nothing at all.

She says the new proposals means pensions will still rise and they get protection against inflation.

The policy will avoid unsustainable increases in pension levels, and points out the triple lock was effectively an "unfunded commitment" as "we didn't have tax rises planned to pay for this ever growing bill", she adds.

Miller continues: "This doesn't stop any politician from deciding they want to give pensioners a higher pension... but if you want to do that then much better to tell pensioners that's what you want to do rather than leave it to the vagaries of inflation."

Image source, Getty Images

Prime Minister Andy Burnham's pledges in yesterday's speech drew criticism from across the political spectrum.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said triple lock changes would not lead to enough savings to fund the new care system "for another two decades" and "more tax rises are inevitable".

She added nothing he announced would "do anything to fix Britain's long-term problems".

The Liberal Democrat's Ed Davey said that reforming social care "is too urgent" to wait until the next election and argued any reforms "can't be funded from the pockets of our poorest pensioners".

The Green Party's Zack Polanski criticised the government for "going after pensioners", saying it should instead "tax the rich".

Nigel Farage, from Reform UK, accused Burnham of "launching an offensive against our elderly" and called for an early general election.

As a reminder, Burnham said he'd like to "adjust" the triple lock so that state pensions increase every year by at least inflation or 2.5%, removing the current link with average earnings. He said this will help pay for free social care.

This morning, BBC Radio 4's Today programme has been hearing arguments over Burnham's proposals over electoral reform.

Former Conservative cabinet minister Michael Gove argues while proportional representation may seem fairer "it is actually less democratic".

He says the essence of democracy is the ability to "throw the government out when it fails and to elect a government on a clear manifesto to deliver".

Gove says the current first-past-the-post system is best able to deliver this and also offers a clear link between the constituency and the MP.

In response, Labour MP Cat Smith says she wants to see a commission look at the pros and cons of various systems, and wants to keep the constituency link.

Smith said it was important that we have an "honest conversation" about whether the way we elect MPs properly reflects the way people vote.

Smith pointed to the last election, where Labour won some 33% of vote and 63% of the seats, but Reform UK won only five seats based on about 14% of the vote.

She described it as "unhealthy for democracy", damaging the trust between voters and our politics.

During his conference speech yesterday, Andy Burnham set out another big idea – changing the voting system.

He said Labour would fight the next election on a promise to change the current system - known as first-past-the-post - so that "everyone's vote counts and everyone's voice is heard".

The PM said a national commission will be set up to explore reforms, with other political parties invited to take part in its work.

Almost 100 Labour MPs signed an amendment on this earlier in the month calling for a commission to rethink the rules.

Speaking to the BBC, Burnham said he preferred being elected as Greater Manchester mayor under the Supplementary Vote system, where voters get to choose a first and second choice.

It meant he had a reason to chat to people who may not always support him, he said, and try win their second choice vote.

Robinson asks why, in his addresses, the PM speaks about the 1980s a lot, rather than looking forward and focusing on contemporary challenges.

"Well where does the energy crisis comes from? I would say it has its roots in the 1980s when it was broken up and sold off," Burnham says.

He also points to "failing water system" and the "housing crisis", again saying "you have to go back".

The conversation then moves on to Burnham's late father, who he paid tribute to in his speech yesterday

Wouldn't he have advised his son to look to the future in his politics, Nick Robinson asks.

Burnham says this wouldn't be the case - his father was someone who would say "remember your roots" and "where you've come from".

He says losing his father, who will be buried on Friday, has been an emotional rollercoaster.

"The two things coincided, the start of my journey as PM and the end of my dad's journey," he says, concluding his interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

The prime minister is asked about his announcement yesterday that he will set up a national convention to consider ways to reform the Westminster voting system and fight the next election promising electoral reform.

Burnham says the Supplementary Vote system he was elected under in Manchester "led to better politics" as it forced politicians to reach out to voters who may not have backed their party.

A "decade of turbulence" in British politics has "stopped us moving forward", Burnham adds, arguing we can have "better politics" with a new voting system.

He says reforming politics would give people a "stronger platform" and give people more certainty to invest in the country.

Burnham is next asked whether in his heart he wants the UK to rejoin the EU.

"I have said in the book that I would like to see Britain rejoin in my lifetime so there's no point me saying otherwise, but it's not necessarily the case that that is now," he tells the Today programme.

Burnham says we need to consider different options for what Britain's future relationship with the EU could like this. This includes whether the UK should join a customs union, if it should consider the Liberal Democrats' proposal for a single market, or whether "we can go all the way" and rejoin the EU, he adds.

He says the pros and cons of each option need to be assessed, and we need to "be clear about where we want Britain to go in the next decade".

In his view, Burnham says "Brexit has caused more harm than good", adding that "around 60% of public" agree with him.

Burnham is now being asked why he didn't mention the "borrowing crisis" that the UK is currently experiencing.

Nick Robinson puts to him that global markets are demanding more to lend money than 20 years ago, and that the UK is being charged more to borrow money than many European countries.

Burham says he did mention the borrowing crisis, and says the high borrowing costs stem from the mini-budget introduced when Liz Truss was PM in 2022.

"Britain lost some trust and credibility" because of this, Burnham says.

The mini-budget in question included £45bn of unfunded tax cuts and sparked days of market turmoil.

Burnham says by laying out his plans for public control on water, housing, energy and social care, that is a way of "getting our long term costs down".

Defending his proposal over the triple lock, Burnham says it is not right to say he's scrapped it, but instead he's "changed" it.

Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme why he is hitting pensioners rather than the wealthiest, he says "this is about helping pensioners" who "currently are at risk of paying ruinous care costs".

He says: "I believe we've got to look at that bigger picture. It cannot be right going forward that we treat dementia very differently from cancer."

The prime minister says his proposed adjustment to the triple lock retains the link between pensions and inflation, earnings or 2.5%.

But earnings "should be considered over a longer time frame, not every year", he adds, arguing it will make it more sustainable economically.

He is challenged that it will save £15bn a year, which is money taken from pensions, but Burnham says it's a move to support older people to give them "peace of mind" later in life.

He adds that the reforms will give pensioners "more ability to protect homes and savings".

We can now bring you more from Prime Minister Andy Burnham's interview with Radio 4's Today programme, recorded at Labour's conference in Liverpool yesterday.

Burnham is asked why the focus of his speech was a series of proposals that won't happen for many years, despite him saying in his speech that people can't wait forever for change.

Burnham says his policies to cut VAT from household energy bills and cap the price of bus fares are moves which will help people in the short term.

"I don't think Britain can be fixed in the short term", he says, adding that the country has been "on the wrong path for a long time".

He says people in the UK are paying higher prices for energy, housing and transport than they are in other countries, adding that "it will take time to fix those services and get them under stronger public control".

BBC Radio 4's Today programme has an interview with Prime Minister Andy Burnham - we'll bring you the key lines in our next few posts.

The UK is heading into to another winter "where we're going to have to watch every penny", says the director of comparison website Uswitch.

Figures shared with the BBC show household energy prices are predicted to rise by 16% in January, with a typical annual bill forecast to jump by £276.

Richard Neudegg says that prediction is based on the previous quarter, but when compared to the same period last year "we're talking 26% higher than what we had in the same period".

He says there are measures households can take to bring the cost of their bills down, including signing up for a fixed energy tariff, depending on the options available where they live.

Neudegg also recommends households monitor their energy usage and look at ways to reduce it.

"This particular winter is one of the really difficult ones so take action for this one, £400 more than last winter for average consumption is really nasty," Neudegg adds.

Yesterday, Burnham gave his first speech to a Labour Party conference since becoming prime minister. Here's a brief overview of what he announced:

• Triple lock - The pension triple lock, which guarantees the state pension rises by whichever is highest out of inflation, wage increases or 2.5%, will be adjusted from 2030, to remove the direct link with wages but still "hold its value relative to earnings over time"
• Social care - Savings from removing the triple lock will be put towards plans for a free at the point of use "national care service" in England which "everyone contributes" to and where "everyone is covered"

• Electoral reform - Labour will establish a national commission on electoral reform and commit to change the electoral system in its next manifesto
• Energy - Great British Grid will be established, a publicly owned company which Burnham says will challenge the private sector operators and drive down timings and costs for connecting businesses and homes to the grid
• Water - The ban on public ownership of water companies will be lifted, starting a 10-year journey to a "very different water system" that will "strengthen public control"

Burnham says the government is thinking about ways to give people "breathing space" on the cost of living ahead of the Budget next month, telling BBC Breakfast "we'll consider further measures".

The prime minister says ending VAT on household electricity bills from this week will ease some pressure heading into the winter, as well as an upcoming national cap on bus fares, but concedes those policies are "something, not everything".

He goes on: "It's important for me to say we don't have huge room for manoeuvre. I think people can see that when they look at the financial picture - but within that we will do our best."

Burnham is pressed on the £45 average saving generated by the energy VAT cut, which is expected to be cancelled out when upcoming price cap increases are taken into account.

The prime minister says energy reform is needed to make costs affordable in the long term, pointing out that energy costs are higher in the UK than in Europe - which Burnham says is because the country has "sold off utilities" and there is a lack of "public control".

Lucy Hooker
Business reporter

New figures out this morning show the UK economy grew a little more strongly this spring than we had thought.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) originally put growth in the April-to-June quarter at 0.4%. That’s now been revised up to 0.5%.

The ONS’s first estimates for how the economy is faring are always updated as more detailed data comes in. This time they also show GDP per head is up by 1.2% over the year to June, which means we should be feeling marginally better off too.

These changes might sound small but they’re a helpful nudge in the right direction ahead of the Budget where the numbers will be very tight.