Joe Pike
Political correspondent

Andy Burnham signals his upcoming social care reforms may mean a system of universal free care.

That could involve people in England accessing free care at the point of use. He says the system needs to "work on NHS principles" and that he will set out more in his conference speech on Tuesday.

Burnham makes an emotive argument referencing the "humour, humanity and skill" of those who cared for his father Roy, who recently died after living with dementia.

But opposition parties will want to know: how will he pay for it? The PM says that the principle is "everyone contributes and everyone is covered" but "nothing is off the table".

The prime minister goes on to say that social care in England is "as unfair as American healthcare" where the "most vulnerable in society can lose everything, they can be wiped out".

Asked where the money will come from to tackle social care, Burnham says a review is ongoing and he will say more about plans "later this week".

He says he won't do anything where he cannot look the public "in the eye and say I think it is the right thing to do" and that he "will not dodge difficult questions".

Asked if reformed social care will mean more tax, the prime minister says it will be a system where "everyone contributes" but not necessarily in the same way as the NHS.

Kuenssberg now presses Burnham on whether he is proposing universal free social care.

He says he will set out more this week at the Labour Party's conference, including a timetable.

"I am talking about a system that works on NHS principles," he says, describing this as "the only way you can make it work".

He says there is free personal care elsewhere in the UK and he doesn't think it's right that people in England don't get the same.

He says it "has to be done carefully without putting extra strain on the public purse" but says he'll bring forward proposals. He also notes that Baroness Louise Casey is still doing her official review.

"I'm not going to do what others have done" and look "in a different direction", he says, adding that "broken social care will in the end break the NHS".

Andy Burnham is asked by Kuenssberg to clarify exactly what a new social care system might look like, and when it might happen.

The prime minister replies that he wants a "national care service", where the care system speaks the same language as the health system.

At the moment, he says, the two don't connect.

This is because the care system is so "threadbare" that it can't support people in care homes, or people struggle to pay for care support, Burnham explains.

He says this means people end up in hospitals, which are the most expensive part of the system, and that's not necessarily where they should be.

Andy Burnham is up first, when asked about plans on social care he says his government is "making really good process".

He says the death of his father "has been hard" but that it "pushes him on" to sort out social care, adding that he is going to "grasp the nettle".

"It's devastating actually to be here.. Parliament just ignoring this issue because they consider it too difficult," he tells Laura Kuenssberg.

Burnham adds: "Is it any wonder that politics is in such low esteem with the public if it can't fix something as basic [as this]?"

Cue the music... Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg has just started.

As a reminder, you can watch live at the top of the page. We'll also bring you the key lines here.

Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg is just about to get started.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is in the hot seat this morning, live from Liverpool as the Labour Party conference kicks off - his first as party leader.

Ahead of the conference, the PM has announced a new scheme to help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder.

The government also plans to make it simpler for councils to take over empty homes to provide housing for those in need.

We'll also have shadow home secretary Chris Philp on the programme, as well as former business secretary Peter Kyle and the BBC's new director-general, Matt Brittin.

You'll be able to watch live at the top of the page once the programme starts. You can also follow along on iPlayer or BBC One.

Ahead of Burnham's trip to the north-west of England for the Labour Party conference - his first as leader - the prime minister experienced another first earlier this week.

Here's a quick look at his visit to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York:

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, PA Media

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Small boat crossings: Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood ordered a review into how two boats reached the UK without being intercepted.

Elgin Marbles: The Greek PM, writing in the Guardian, reminded Burnham that in 2023, when he was mayor of Manchester, he had said the Parthenon sculptures should be returned to Greece with "no strings attached".

Tories push benefit restrictions: Kemi Badenoch said her party would prevent long-term jobless benefit claimants from spending welfare payments on alcohol, cigarettes and gambling, and cut universal credit by 30% for those unemployed for more than six months if they have not previously paid enough into the system, despite being able to work.

Lib Dems promise tax cuts: Speaking at his party's conference in Brighton, Ed Davey said his party would reduce the income tax paid by millions of workers.

UK to help Saudis counter Houthi attacks: Britain will deploy a military aircraft to help refuel Saudi Arabian fighter jets in the country's conflict with Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Image source, Getty Images

Andy Burnham has attended his first UN General Assembly meeting, met Donald Trump for the first time and is about to face his first Labour Party conference as PM.

Other significant tests for his government also loom on the horizon:

• John Healey will deliver his first Budget as chancellor on 28 October, with the government facing pressure from the UK's unexpected borrowing surge
• The Holborn and St Pancras by-election on 8 October will determine who will succeed former PM Keir Starmer as MP
• Burnham will travel to Miami for the G20 meeting, which begins on 20 December - next year, he'll host the same summit in Manchester

The BBC's director general, Matt Brittin, told Laura Kuenssberg in an interview earlier this week that changing audience habits "may well mean" some channels and radio stations have to close in order for resources to be invested in on-demand services.

While his focus is to "minimise the impact on the audience", he says "the tight financial situation means that we're having to look at some of those decisions a bit sooner than we might like".

In recent months, the BBC has announced a series of closures including Blankety Blank, Celebrity Mastermind, Live at the Apollo and Football Focus, with further cuts expected.

Brittin took over as BBC director general in May after a decade as president of Google in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

You can read Laura's earlier story on her interview with Matt Brittin, and we'll be hearing more from him in the programme a little later on.

Joe Pike, Richard Wheeler and Claire Keenan
BBC Politics

Image source, Getty Images

Prime Minister Andy Burnham is to introduce a new scheme to try to help people "who have given up hope of ever having a home to call their own" get on the property ladder.

The "Your First Home" scheme would be open to first-time buyers in England with a deposit of 2.5%. It would provide them with a loan worth 20% of their new build property's value to help pay for the purchase.

Burnham said: "Too many young people are struggling with the cost of housing, with many giving up hope of ever having a home to call their own.

"So we will step in to help more first-time buyers on to the housing ladder."

On Sunday, the government also shared plans it said would make it simpler for councils to take over empty homes to provide housing for those in need.

The announcements come as the prime minister prepares for his first Labour conference as leader.

• Read more from our political reporters here

Image source, PA Media

Prime Minister Andy Burnham gets top billing on this morning's programme, but who else are we going to hear from?

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp will be fielding questions in the hot seat later this morning.

We'll also be hearing more from Kuenssberg's separate sit-downs with BBC director-general Matt Brittin and former business secretary Peter Kyle - we'll bring you more on these interviews shortly.

On this morning's panel:

• Gloria De Piero - Former Labour MP and now GB News presenter
• Steve Rotheram - Mayor of the Liverpool City Region and longstanding friend of Burnham
• Darren Jones - Starmer ally and former chief secretary to the prime minister

Image source, PA/Reuters

How long can Labour's feel-good factor last?published at 07:42 BST

07:42 BST

Laura Kuenssberg
Presenter, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg

Image source, Getty Images

Andy Burnham might not yet have delivered his all-important conference speech, but he has been preparing for this moment for years.

He'll lap up the inevitable whoops and cheers – not just as Labour's leader, but the kind of leader who chimes with the party's rank and file, who puts social justice at the top of his list, who is not averse to cranking up the greatest hits – whether taking a pop at Mrs Thatcher, privatisation, or the divides between north and south.

Speaking to MPs, ministers and advisers inside the party, there is no doubt whatsoever that Labour is in a much, much happier place than this time last year.

But however much Burnham loves being PM there are also less tempting realities he'll have to confront.

One senior figure warns that what's coming could turn things sour. "The Budget looks like a disaster – by Halloween we'll be looking at something else," predicting a big change in mood.

That portent of doom doesn't match the overall atmosphere around Labour right now, but there is a quiet creeping concern about whether Burnham's rhetoric of hope, and change, the classic political mantras, can be matched with people's experience.

• Read Laura Kuenssberg's full analysis here

Richard Wheeler and Kate Whannel
Political reporters

Andy Burnham says he isn't tempted to call an early general election, arguing it would throw "the country into a backward-looking process".

The prime minister said on Friday his focus was on supporting businesses and helping people with the cost of living.

Recent polling suggests Labour's position has improved since Burnham replaced Keir Starmer in July, although Reform UK and the Conservatives are not far behind.

An early general election could give Burnham a mandate of his own and free him from commitments made in Labour's 2024 manifesto. The next general election must be held by August 2029.

Asked by ITV Calendar if the next election would be in 2029, Burnham replied: "All of this speculation on an early election, I can knock that dead."

• Read more from our political reporters here

Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Prime Minister Andy Burnham will field questions from Laura Kuenssberg this morning ahead of his first party conference in the top role.

The prime minister will be speaking from Liverpool, where the conference is set to get under way.

Burnham has said his debut leader's conference speech on Tuesday will leave nobody in any doubt about "what I'm trying to do in this role".

He has also insisted he is not tempted to call an early general election, arguing it would throw "the country into a backward-looking process".

This week, the PM met US President Donald Trump, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and other world leaders at the UN General Assembly in New York.

Also joining the programme this morning are shadow home secretary Chris Philp, former business secretary Peter Kyle and BBC director-general Matt Brittin.

You can watch Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg live from 09:00 BST.