# Unison chief urges Labour to turn economic vision into action

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/if-the-pm-reboots-the-uk-for-working-class-people-unions-will-be-with-him-but-the-time-for-talking-is-over-andrea-egan/
- Published: 2026-10-26T10:00:27+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-26T11:07:21+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/26/andy-burnham-reboot-uk-working-class-people-budget-unions
- Topics: Art, Business, Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment, Government, Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Unison welcomes Burnham’s challenge to neoliberalism.
- Egan says the budget must deliver real change.
- Unions want long-term investment and better public-service pay.

## Summary

Unison general secretary Andrea Egan argues that Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s rejection of neoliberalism has raised hopes among trade unions, but Labour must now turn that vision into action. She says the upcoming budget should begin a major shift in how the economy and public services are organised.

Egan traces the problems Burnham identifies to decisions made in the 1980s, and says reversing their effects will require public ownership and large-scale investment. She welcomes early measures that have helped with the cost of living, but argues they are too limited to address four decades of change. Unison and other unions want a substantial, multi-year plan to improve public-service funding and workers’ pay.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.