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Andy Burnham proposes a national commission on changing Westminster's voting system
September 30, 2026
Andy Burnham told Labour's conference he wants a national commission on electoral reform and a voting system change in the party's next manifesto.
Andy Burnham, a former mayor of Greater Manchester, became Britain's prime minister 71 days ago through an intraparty coup with no national campaign.
The BBC reports that Burnham used his first conference address since taking over as prime minister to announce a national commission that would weigh options for electoral reform, and that a change to the Westminster voting system will go into Labour's next manifesto. He gave no details on who would lead the commission or when its work would start, the BBC says. The Liberal Democrats support a change, according to the BBC, while Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell acknowledged that some in her party oppose it. Nigel Farage, who leads Reform, told broadcasters a debate on the system could happen "at some point" but called other issues more pressing, the BBC reports.
The New York Times reports a wider set of pledges from the same address, including a national care service if Labour wins the next election, paid for in part by changing the pensions triple lock. The BBC adds that the annual earnings link would be dropped from April 2030. Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch questioned whether the pension savings would cover the care service, the Times reports. “I accept people will not agree with every part of it,” said Andy Burnham. His father died two weeks earlier, and The Times describes him pausing, visibly emotional, when the speech turned to him.
The Guardian reports a split reaction among commentators: Andrew Marr and Tim Shipman praised the delivery, while right-leaning papers attacked the pension change, the voting reform and the housing plans. The Economist, in its headline, says Burnham has turned bold, and a New York Times headline has him vowing to break the mold. The commission and the manifesto pledge are corroborated; its leader, its timetable and the system it would favour are not yet set.
Still developing
Burnham's commission on changing the electoral system had not firmed up as of this draft.
How settled the reporting is
Sources
- BBC — Chris Mason: Burnham delivers deeply political speech with a personal core
- The New York Times — Prime Minister Andy Burnham Lays Out Plan to Change UK in Emotional Speech at Labour Conference - The New York Times
- The Guardian — ‘Oozing everyman charm’: what the papers say about Andy Burnham’s speech
- The Economist — Andy Burnham gets bold at last
Toggle read the full reports of 3 of the 4 outlets counted on this event. The other 1 are counted from their headlines and opening sentences.