Andy Burnham used an emotional Labour conference speech to set out a more ambitious political agenda, saying he would seek a long-term relationship with the EU and pursue major changes to social care and pensions. He argued that Brexit has harmed growth and that the country needs a new direction, while accepting the proposals could carry a political cost.

Burnham said he would present options for closer EU ties at an autumn reset summit, potentially including arrangements like Norway’s, Switzerland’s or Canada’s, joining the customs union or single market, or reversing Brexit. He also proposed replacing the pensions triple lock with rises tied to inflation or 2.5%, whichever is higher, to help fund a free-at-the-point-of-use national care service in England. He said the plans would follow the next election because of the state of public finances, and pledged to stick to Labour’s fiscal rules.