Keir Starmer reminded us often that his father was a toolmaker, a skilled occupation. In his Labour party conference speech, Andy Burnham referenced his parents, Eileen and his late father Roy. He did not mention that Roy was a telecoms engineer, also a skilled job, and one that was and is fully unionised, with decent terms and conditions. Perhaps the PM sees in that not just the past but also the future of work.
Keith Flett
Tottenham, London
Andy Burnham’s belief that investment in public spending will save money in the longer term is a positive-sum calculus targeted at improving the quality of life. After all, if private capital can generate profit from privatised utilities and services, then by the same token public spending can direct funding to benefit the common good.
Austen Lynch
Garstang, Lancashire
Now that Andy Burnham has grasped the nettle of the pension triple lock, perhaps he will have the courage to wade into the nettlebed to end the exemption from capital gains tax of the enormous gains from the sale of private residences.
Maurice Henry Collier
Solihull, West Midlands
Andy Burnham’s speech to the Labour party conference was a masterclass in political oratory. Burnham has a degree in English literature. I wonder if the two things are perhaps related. I think young people should be told.
Glyn Turton
Baildon, West Yorkshire
Thanks to Andy for a wonderful speech. I enjoyed that he denied those attention-hungry politicians the oxygen of publicity they seek.
Jude Carr
London
