Labour conference: The public want policies, says Andy Burnham

Labour cannot afford to wait until the next general election to unveil policies, the mayor of Greater Manchester has warned.

Andy Burnham said he had grown "a little impatient" waiting for his party to "say something more of substance".

The ex-minster told the BBC it must "move beyond" saying it will set plans out nearer the election - and stop arguing about its internal rules.

Labour is holding its annual party conference in Brighton this week.

Mr Burnham praised early policy announcements on workers' rights, but he called for the party to go "much further" and to "set out a vision that speaks to a country that is more together more united, fairer across all of England".

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Asked by BBC Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg what was important over the coming days, he said: "The party really needs to set out something that will resonate with the country.

"The public, I think, are becoming less and less convinced by the government... so there's an opportunity there in front of Labour, but it really, really needs to take it."

One area Mr Burnham felt the party could be stronger is on is the government's new health and social care levy - which will see a rise in National Insurance to pay for the services, before a separate tax is introduced.

"[Labour] do need to say something more of substance, because that's how politics works," he said. "If the public is not completely committed, what the government is doing, they need to see an alternative.

"I think the party's got to move beyond, 'oh, well, we'll set our plans out at the election'. I don't think that will hold. People want to see that alternative."

'Connect with the public'

Manchester's Mayor said people across the north of England were "currently unconvinced by both sides and wanting to have real substance put on the table".

He added: "I don't think we can leave it much longer before saying, here's what we would do on social care for instance... or regional inequalities that have been laid bare in this pandemic. The north/south divide is massive.

"So where is the convincing vision to level up the north of England? Who has got the right answers to do that? That's what I'm waiting to hear from the government and from the party, but the Labour Party has that opportunity to get in first this week."

Mr Burnham said he wanted Labour and its leader, Sir Keir Starmer, to win the next election and he was challenging the party in a "constructive" way and as a "friend".

But he said it was up to Sir Keir and his team to "connect with the public in this through their speeches", saying the party "can't afford to leave Brighton not having done that".