UK leader Burnham adjusts pension guarantee to fund new National Care Service

Prime Minister Andy Burnham told Labour's conference in Liverpool that Britain will change how the state pension rises after 2030, dropping the link to average earnings growth in favor of just inflation or 2.5%, whichever is higher. The savings would fund a new National Care Service offering free home care, he said, with the current pension guarantee remaining intact through this Parliament.

Burnham said the care service would start with home care, protect savings from care charges, and improve pay for care workers, with details shaped by a review led by adviser Louise Casey before introduction in the next Parliament. He paired the announcement with pledges on council housebuilding, water company public ownership, and removing VAT from electricity bills starting Thursday.

The speech also included a promise to campaign for proportional representation and a warmer relationship with the EU, which Burnham said Brexit had 'done more harm than good' to. He grew emotional discussing his father's recent death, linking it to his motivation for the care policy.

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