Story perspectives

Burnham Launches Commission to Replace First-Past-The-Post Voting

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 11:14 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivered his inaugural speech as Labour leader at conference in Liverpool on 29 September 2026.
He announced a commission to replace first-past-the-post voting.
He pledged to repeal the 1979-1990 ban on public ownership of water companies.
He said Brexit has done more harm than good and will present EU relationship options at a summit.
A YouGov poll gave Labour 24% voting intention, trailing Reform’s 25%.

History

Historical Context

1973’s Water Act consolidated local water undertakings into ten regional authorities. In 1989 Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government privatized them for £7.6 billion, establishing private water firms and the regulator OFWAT; tariffs rose 46 % in the first nine years and company debt later topped £60 billion. The legacy of these reforms underpins current calls to restore public ownership.

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Story summary

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham delivered his inaugural speech as Labour leader at conference in Liverpool on 29 September 2026.
He announced a commission to replace first-past-the-post voting.
He pledged to repeal the 1979-1990 ban on public ownership of water companies.
He said Brexit has done more harm than good and will present EU relationship options at a summit.
A YouGov poll gave Labour 24% voting intention, trailing Reform’s 25%.

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