British Prime Minister Andy Burnham used his first Labour conference speech as party leader to promise a National Care Service “free at the point of use,” modelled on the NHS.

Addressing delegates in Liverpool on September 29, Burnham said the service would be funded by changing the pensions triple lock from 2030. Under the change, pensions would rise by inflation or 2.5 per cent, removing the link to average earnings.

Burnham, who became visibly emotional paying tribute to his late father, said he would “go through the pain barrier” to fix social care. “I accept I may pay a political price,” he said. He said the reform would be “fully funded, and not through borrowing.”

He also proposed a cross-party commission on replacing first-past-the-post with proportional representation, and said Brexit had “done more harm than good,” drawing a “Brexit betrayal” attack from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

The conference is Labour’s first under Burnham as leader, and the speech marks a clear break from four decades of policy direction.