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Andy Burnham — page 11

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Youth clubs, trade unions, pubs: here's how Burnham can fix Britain's social recession | Gordon Brown

From volunteering to the WI, we have lost so many ways to meet our neighbours. Making that easier can only be good for society Prime minister Andy Burnham has hit the ground running, tackling head-on three of the public’s burning concerns: falling standards of living, failing public services and a remote, out-of-touch, over-centralised Whitehall. Now, this autumn, a fourth challenge, reversing the decades-long decline of civic engagement, is about to move centre stage to achieve his ambition to put citizens back in control of their communities. For while there are tens of thousands of local champions bringing towns, cities and villages together, Britain is suffering a civic recession, a hollowing out of the associations, clubs and organisations that once were the beating hearts of our communities. Gordon Brown was UK prime minister from 2007 to 2010 The future starts with us: Gordon Brown in conversation On Thursday 10 September, join Hugh Muir and Gordon Brown to discuss the intricate connections between global instability and civic decline, as explored in Brown’s new book, The Future Starts With Us . Book tickets here Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Gordon Brown8 Sept

Prisons ‘one major event from disaster’ after U-turn on early release scheme

Critics say the move, which will keep PC Harper’s killers in jail, leaves number of prison spaces ‘too close to the bone’ PC Andrew Harper’s killers will remain behind bars after a critical intervention by Andy Burnham , but the move has led to warnings that overcrowded prisons will be left “one major event away from disaster”. Announcing a U-turn on the early release scheme after weeks of intense pressure, Burnham said he understood “how strongly people feel about this issue”. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Alexandra Topping Political correspondent30 Aug

Could this policy fix the care system and slash student debt at the same time?

Andy Burnham is in need of radical proposals. A ‘care first’ year in exchange for 50% off fees could be just what he needs The UK’s social care sector is in crisis. Costs are spiralling, with many local councils forced to dedicate the vast majority of their budgets to it. At the same time, more and more families are seeing their savings disappear into the black hole of nursing home fees. With an ageing population, the problem is set to get worse. In only his second week as prime minister, Andy Burnham pledged to succeed where so many of his predecessors have failed: by fixing Britain’s social care system. And yet, as parliament returns from recess, the new-ish administration is still worryingly unclear about how it will do this. Despite Burnham declaring that care workers should enjoy better compensation, we don’t know how he plans to pay for any of it – not least because he has kept Starmer’s campaign pledge to not raise income tax, VAT or national insurance. At the moment, it looks as though it will be impossible to square the circle. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Paul Sagar30 Aug

Andy Burnham could easily ignore the UK’s falling aid commitment. He would be wise not to | Halima Begum

The FCDO’s annual report was quietly released just as Starmer was leaving office – it continues a long-term shift from supporting countries most in need to seeking something in return Somewhere on the new British prime minister’s desk sits a document. It was quietly published last week, in the dying hours of his predecessor’s government. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s annual report cements how the UK aid budget will be allocated until 2029. It was released at the moment of least political scrutiny: parliament rising for the summer, one prime minister exiting Downing Street, the other waiting for the keys. Anyone asking whether the new PM, Andy Burnham, will – or even can – restore Britain’s 0.7% aid commitment should begin with this document, which appears designed to lock in three more years of retreat from the world’s poorest communities before Burnham could take office. Continue reading...

The GuardianThe Guardian•Halima Begum23 Jul