The Guardian's editorial: 'grounds to hope for a better Britain' under Andy Burnham

The Guardian's editorial board has praised Andy Burnham's first speech as prime minister to a Labour party conference, describing it as a serious attempt to argue that rebuilding the public realm would benefit the country more than continuing to shrink the state.

According to the editorial, Burnham built his speech around three linked themes: Brexit, voting reform and public services, using them to make what the paper called a powerful, personal pitch for a brighter future. The board wrote that Burnham's belief in the power of government, and his view that spending now on public services could save money later, are welcome positions.

The editorial singled out Burnham's acknowledgement that Brexit "has done more harm than good" as potentially the most consequential line of the speech, noting that it opened the door to setting out options for a closer relationship with the European Union.

The board also highlighted a specific policy trade-off floated by Burnham: asking voters to give up part of the annual triple-lock increase in pensions in exchange for free personal care for older people, which it described as a gamble. The editorial noted that Burnham recast the idea of "taking back control" as an argument for Labour, framing privatisation, the weakening of local government and Brexit itself as episodes in which control was lost — a framing the board said was deftly woven through housing, water, energy and European policy.

The Guardian's assessment suggested that whether Burnham succeeds will depend on showing tangible improvements in public services before the next general election.