(Image: PA)
Andy Burnham, is a man on a mission, and I am with him - by RACHAEL MASKELL, Labour MP for York Central
A National Care Service, free at the point of need. Just let that sink in. Free, National Care Service. Whether disabled or frail and elderly, a spouse, son or daughter, you will know that when the words adult social care are uttered, blood drains from your face, in the same way that money does from your pocket.
In 1948, the radical Labour Government took the fear of paying for health with the creation of the National Health Service. This landmark moment of building a National Care Service, I guess NCS, will be as radical, if not more so. Focused on care in your own home, but also integrating with the NHS, so that there is no cliff edge between the two.
Under Andy Burnham, in just ten weeks, we have seen such a shift: this is what a Labour Government should look like. From last Thursday, VAT was taken off electricity bills, next year all bus journeys capped at £2. If your train is delayed, you can get on the next one, no matter who sold you your ticket.
We are building council houses again, we are getting young people into work, giving them more opportunities with a technical education and enabling older workers to access lifelong learning to adapt their skills to the changing economy. Youth services are back and there is real support from the very start of life.
Health and care, housing and jobs. Helping out where the budgets are tight and speeding up reforms so that you don’t have to wait long. Strength at home, and leadership abroad. This was the pride we had lost, now restored.
Andy Burnham, is a man on a mission, and I am with him. I have stood up and stood out for these policies over many years, making sure that your voices are heard, now they have been, we are moving forward together.
There are some things that I particularly want to highlight. Politics have been divisive and toxic of late, but now the Prime Minister will end the division and build unity: the new culture of politics. You know that I have always listened and sought to be inclusive. I believe it sharpens my politics and forces me to think things through deeper.
Labour is now embedding this approach, the door is open, and all you need to do is walk through. I always try to consult residents on the big decisions, and will continue to build on this model as I need your experience and involvement. The Prime Minister has already opened his door to me too.
Regarding electoral reform – some of you favour this, some are more cautious. There are many positives in a voting system where every vote counts, but which system is adopted matters. I want to ensure we work together to create the very best ‘York’ model to feed into the consultation. Get your thinking caps on.
As for Europe – in York Central, just over a third voted to leave and under two-thirds to remain. I have honoured our city’s voter. Now we have a chance to reshape our relationship with the EU. We have to be honest. People were not informed of the cost of Brexit back in 2016, but now we know.
Each household is £3,000 worse off, just think what you could do with that, the economy is 6 per cent poorer, and it has been at the heart of the irregular migration crisis as leaving meant walking out of the risk-sharing Dublin Agreement.
Whether rejoining or having a new advanced agreement with the EU, as with Canada, we have to discuss it as we cannot continue on this trajectory. Before we do, I want your voices to be heard. What are your aspirations? What are the risks? Needed is a city-wide conversation, it is always the best way.
Finally pensions. As chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Ageing and Older People, I get the concern of a double lock replacing the triple lock. You will still get at least 2.5 per cent increase and the inflationary uplift with the double lock, but not the earnings uplift, which only kicks in if earnings are higher than inflation, which fluctuates. We have got until 2030 to get this right.
With 1.7m pensioners in poverty today it is clear the current system is not working. My call is for a Pensioner Poverty Commission to work over this time so we can lift all pensioners out of poverty. Let’s be ambitious.
Labour, the party of working people, with Andy Burnham at the helm, I have real hope that we can really bring our country together, address what matters and really put ‘hope in every heart’.
It now turns to you to join us on this journey; I hope you will.