Burnham to Pitch Reindustrialisation and 'No10 North' at First Labour Conference as PM

Ahead of the Labour Party conference opening in Liverpool on 28 September 2026, Downing Street previewed Prime Minister Andy Burnham's keynote address, due on Tuesday 30 September, in which he will try to project confidence in Britain's economic prospects under the 'Hope Again' slogan. Central themes trailed include reindustrialisation and regional economic devolution, anchored by a new 'No10 North' second Downing Street office in Manchester, and deeper economic ties with the European Union. The government acknowledged that inflation and energy bills 'may rise over the next six months' due to Middle East instability linked to the Iran war, while pointing to measures already taken — a VAT cut on electricity bills, reduced business rates for pubs, social clubs and live music venues, and a restored £2 cap on bus fares from 2027 — and said a full 10-year economic plan would follow in December.