Labour - Tuesday Today at Conference

Good evening, and welcome to Today at Conference, from

The NHS was at the heart of his pitch, and he promised to

To be paid for by a levy on tobacco firms, a tax on expensive homes

We'll hear from the Shadow Health Secretary, Andy Burnham.

Some say he saved the Union in last week's referendum.

We ask delegates here if it's time for a comeback?

Labour is ahead in the polls, but Ed Miliband's personal ratings

are poor, the party is still not trusted on the economy.

Today, in his last major Conference speech, ahead of a general election

next year, it was his chance to look and sound every bit the leader.

He began by talking about a new ethic for governing the country.

I'm not talking about a different policy or a different programme. I'm

talking about something much bigger. I'm talking about a different idea,

a different ethnic for the way our country succeeds. For all the sound

and fury in England, Scotland, Wales across the United Kingdom what

people are saying to us is - this country doesn't care about me. Our

politics doesn't listen, our economy doesn't work. They're not wrong,

they're right. This Labour Party is going to put it right.

APPLAUSE Because you're on your own doesn't work for you. It doesn't

work for your family. It doesn't work for Britain.

APPLAUSE Can we build a different future for

our country? Of course we can. But with a different idea for how we

succeed. An idea that, in the end, won the referendum. An idea I love

because it says so much about who we are, and who we have it in ourselves

to become an idea rooted in this party's character and in our

country's history. An idea that built our greatest institutions, and

got us through our darkest moments. An idea that is just one simple

word, "together". Together, together we can restore faith in the future.

Together we can build a better future for the working people of

Britain. Together we can rebuild Britain, friends, together we can.

The core of his remarks was a six-point plan

He referred to people he had met on his travels, including one who was

in the hall with him. Now, we need a plan for jobs. We need a plan for

wages. We need a plan that is going to actually help the working

families of our country. But at the heart of our plan, for our country

and for your is a future for all of our young people. I met somebody

called Elizabeth, the other day. Where is she? She's here. Elizabeth,

stand up for one second. Elizabeth is an apprentice.

APPLAUSE she is one of the lucky few,

friends. She is one of the lucky few. Elizabeth's school because I

met her yesterday, Elizabeth's school helped her to get an

apprenticeship. So many other schools don't do that. Lots of the

young people I meet who are on apprenticeships say - my school said

apprenticeships were rubbish and they wouldn't help me. Now I'm

doing, it it's really great for me. Frankly, there aren't enough of

them. They aren't high quality enough. Our fourth national goal is

that by 2025, as many young people will be leaving school or college to

go on to apprenticeship as currently go to university.

We will transform our NHS. It's time to care about our NHS. We need

doctors, nurses, midwives, careworkers who are able to spend

proper time with us, not rushed off their feet. So we will set aside

resources so that can have in our NHS 3,000 more midwives, 5,000 more

careworkers, 8,000 more GPs, and 20,000 more nurses. An NHS with time

to care. APPLAUSE

In order to pay for it, we won't borrow and extra penny or raise

taxes on ordinary working families. We'll clampdown on tax avoidance,

including tax loopholes by the hedge fund, to raise over ?1 billion. .

APPLAUSE We will use the reeds of a mansion tax, on homes above ?2

million. -- proceeds. And, we will raise extra resources from the

tobacco companies who make soari in g profits on the back of ill-health.

APPLAUSE The emphasis on the NHS has

encouraged the view that he is appealing to the core group rather

than reaching out to groups beyond. Such is Britain's electoral

arithmetic, he can win. There was one new demographic that

he did reach out to today - You know, people think Westminster

politics is out of touch. Irrelevant and often disconnected from their

lives. As somebody who stands at Prime Minister's Questions each

Wednesday, I often know what they mean! Look, we might as well say it

- it's what people think about politics. They think it's not about

them. We have to change it. We don't just need to restore people's faith

in the future, with this economic and social plan. We need to change

the way politics works in this country. What does that mean? First

of all, it's time to hear the voice of young people in our politics. We

will give the vote to 16 and 17-year-olds in general elections.

It's time to complete the unfinish business of the reform of the House

of Lords. It's time to devolve power in England. -- finish. I'm

incredibly proud of our proposals to reverse a century of centralisation.

There can be no better place to be talking about this than here in

Manchester, devolving power to local government, bringing power closer to

people right across England. APPLAUSE We need bigger reform of

our constitution, here is the thing, friends. Given everything we know

about what people think of Westminster politics, it's got to be

led by the people. It ca some Westminster stitchup. That is why we

need a proper, constitutional convention, harnessing the civic

energy and spirit of people right across our land, England, Scotland,

Wales, every part of the United Kingdom.

His promises on the NHS brought the Conference alive.

He used the word "together" 51 times during his speech.

The budget deficit wasn't mentioned at all.

I say to every person in our country, who believes that tomorrow

can be better than today, we need you. Together we bring up our

families. Together we look out for our neighbours. Together we care for

our communities. Together we build great businesses, the best in the

world. Together we teach the young. Together we heal the sick. Together

we care for the old. Together we invent cures for the most terrible

of diseases, of course, friends, together we can rebuild our country.

Together we can reward hard work. Together we can ensure the next

generation does better than the last. Together we can make our NHS

greater than its ever been before. Together we can make Britain

prouder, stronger in the world. Together we can restore faith in the

future. On our own, we can't, but together we can. In the next eight

months the British people face one of the biggest choices in

generations. A choice between carrying on as we are, on your own,

for the privileged view, or a different, better future for our

country. We're ready. Labour's plan for Britain's future. Let's make it

happen - together. Thank you very much.

APPLAUSE. This has been a curiously flat

conference, but it was somewhat Jo Coburn spoke to some of

the audience as they left the hall. Let us ask some of them what you

thought. Your impressions of the speech? I thought it was a strong

speech. It has gin us a lot to work with, sell on the doorstep this

Saturday. I like particularly the announcement on more doctors,

nurses. That got a massive cheer? And the fact that has been married

up with action on tax loopholes, it makes it a strong offer to our

supporters in the public. What about some of the other things, votes for

16 to 17-year-olds? Was that something that appealed to you? I

think the votes for 16 to 17-year-olds is a positive move. 16

and 17-year-olds showed themselves to be engaged in the Scottish

referendum wef know that young people everywhere vote more commonly

when they have been voting from a younger age. It will engender

participation with our young Positive answer there people. .

What about you, what did you think? I thought it was fairly solid, we

talked about opening up politics wider than the Westminster bubble,

that built on the experience of the Scottish referendum. He said solid,

that doesn't sound very inspirational, were you expecting

more? I think he obviously has a lot to deliver today and he did that.

Are you going to take it to the doorsteps? I probably will! What was

the big thought from that speech? The NHS is so big and has been

crushed by the Conservatives, he has a plan. The Labour Party is also the

first party to come out and say that all T is a problem. The NHS, people

might say that belongs to Labour, what about things like balancing the

books, did we hear enough about that? I think we did and I think he

is the right man to lead us. What has Cameron actually done in five

years? He has come out and said, these are the things we have to do.

He hasn't made promises you can't keep like Nick Clegg. No party can

turn things around in five years, he has admitted that. The 10-year plan,

that's longer than Stalin! has admitted that. The 10-year plan,

about the slogan, who can remember that? Togetherness. Together, we can

achieve more together. We can have democratic socialism for the first

and final time in Britain, we can achieve 1945 again, where we created

the NHS. This is only the start, come 2025, when we have a democratic

socialist society, the next ten year plan, we can have a greater

socialist society! The 10-year plan is brilliant. You can see his speech

is inspiring, you can see he's going to number ten Downing St. This is

the man for the people. This is the best for Britain! The lady has my

microphone! Back to you. So, more money for the NHS, paid for

by a so-called mansion tax, by a new levy on tobacco companies and yet

another attempted crackdown on tax avoidance. I tried to dig deeper

with Andy Burnham and began by asking him how much with the mansion

tax raise? We are being cautious, saying it could raise ?1.2 billion.

Lets remember the Liberal Democrats fought the last election on this

proposal, saying it would create 1.7. So we have erred on the side of

caution, we know that cynicism out there. We know the NHS can't have

that right now, it needs to know whether is coming from. So how are

you going to raise this 1.2 billion from the mansion tax? How will you

identify the homes worth more than 2 million? Because we will use the

figures that are there, the property values collected by the land

Registry office. It's not my area of expertise! They reflect the

prices... It is when the house was sold! There could be a house sold in

the 94 million that is now worth 5 million. It is the valuation that is

on the properties, that is what we will use. There is no current

valuation on properties. How will you identify the homes that are over

2 million? This is not my area. The policy is, I haven't worked out all

the details, that's not what I have been doing. I am not actually the

Treasurer, I am the Shadow Health Secretary and I'm putting together a

plan for the NHS. You promising money on the back of something you

don't know how the money is going to be raised. We are saying it could at

least give us ?1.2 billion. Mansion tax on properties worth more than 2

million, raising more on the most expensive properties. You are hoping

for an extra billion on tax avoidance, that's going to be NHS?

Last year Mr Miliband said that that money, from cracking down on tax

avoidance, taking back the 150 million from the hedge fund, that

would go on the bedroom tax and stop now it's going on the NHS. We have a

plan to prevent people avoiding tax using hedge fund, closing the Euro

bonds loophole, used by large companies to avoid paying their

share of tax and also umbrella organisations to help people avoid

their obligations. This is a carefully worked out plan. I know

you are paid to try and pick holes in it... I will try again. Last year

all of these things, he said would go on the bedroom tax, now it's

going on the NHS. You are spending it twice. Not at all. You also

haven't mentioned the money we will be taking from tobacco companies.

That is 150 million. That's nothing. This package means that the ordinary

people of this country do not have to pay more for the NHS, we are

asking those who are making money off the back of ill-health, not

their fair share, 2-page transform our NHS. But you will only get 150

million from that. But according to NHS England and the figures you have

quoted, there is a 30 billion shortfall so that 150 million from

tobacco companies is neither here nor there. I am putting together a

plan at the heart of this election campaign for a national health and

care service, bringing social care into the NHS for the first time. Why

is this so important? Because it means we can spend a few pounds

supporting people properly in their own homes, not spending thousands of

pounds with people in hospital and Sarah Lee. The change is the route

towards sustainability for the NHS in the ageing society. The cost of

living has been a constant theme for over a year and Conference turned to

it again this morning. Train fares are always a prayer and the Shadow

Transport Secretary promised to deliver the biggest chains to the

roadways since they were privatised in the 1990s. Today I will set out

how the Labour government will deliver the big change we need in

transport, to deliver infrastructure, to tackle the cost

of transport, and give London style transport powers to other areas. Big

change to make our roads safer. The next they begun mud will make a

swift decision on airport expansion in the national interest. -- the

next Labour government. On rail infrastructure, we support HS2,

which was bought our country. We must keep costs under control and

there is no blank cheque for this or any other project but the benefits

will be great. And Labour government will deliver the biggest reform of

the railways since privatisation, to deliver a better deal for taxpayers

and passengers. We will bring network rail and the passenger rail

body together to coordinate track and trail operations and look after

passengers. A Labour government will cap fares, legislate to allow a

public sector operator to be able to take on lines and challenge the

train operators on a level playing field, we will devolve closer to the

communities they serve. Only a Labour government will deliver the

infrastructure we need to support British jobs and growth, and make

the big change to give cities the powers to

the big change to give cities the create a railway that

the big change to give cities the passengers before profit, and tackle

the cost of passengers before profit, and tackle

road congestion and give everyone the freedom to travel safely. Let's

get out there and get on with it. Ed Miliband thanked the key Labour MPs

who had played their part in the fight against Scottish independence,

all bar code on the, which we pointed out. He must've been

watching, because he began his roll of honour with Gordon Brown. The

former PM played a pivotal part in the final days of the referendum

campaign which has led many to say it was time for a comeback. We sent

Adam out to find out what they think here. There is a lot of buzz around

Gordon Brown who found a new lease of life on the independence

referendum campaign trail but do people want a month front line of

politics or should he stay on the back benches? It's ironic that David

Cameron of four people had to ask Gordon Brown to rescue the

Cameron of four people had to ask campaign -- of all people. A man of

his abilities it should be given some consideration. I think you

should be on the Treasury. Shadow Chancellor? Maybe something like...

Junior. Do you think he would accept a junior spokesperson role? I don't

see it. You would have him straightaway? Absolutely. He was

treated unfairly, he saved all my savings. I would say that front line

Scotland backbencher in England. I think he could make a huge

difference in Scotland. Loads of people have said Gordon Brown should

replace her! People listen to him at the last election, he would have

been in power, his plans were excellent for the economy. But he

did lose the last election spectacularly. Yes, because people

believe the press. If you ever see him, I hope he comes back. Hello, is

Gordon Brown's book flying off the shelves? Not especially. I did have

a bunch of lads coming yesterday to touch Tony Blair's face. It is true!

He just seemed to have a different sort of spun to him, if that is a

word I can use. Is Ed Miliband less spun he? Definitely. It was a fair

fight. I just thought he wouldn't win the election for us and they

wanted a change in leadership, that is a fair, democratic point of view.

I will call that no. No, we share a lift! Who comes around the corner,

I'm going to cry. Given Iain Jensen Smith and the hardship he is putting

people through, I think Gordon Brown could be a good antidote to Iain

Duncan Smith. Have you just fired Rachel Reeves? Do you want to see

Gordon Brown back on the front line? Ask Rupert Murdoch and his friend

Alex meant to play bloody games, don't ask me. -- Alex Salmond. He

says he's too old to be a comeback kid but the message from Labour

Party Conference is clear, Gordon, they want you back! I spoke to

Caroline Flint and asked if she would like to see Gordon Brown back.

Tell you what, it was great having him back a few weeks ago, the minute

be on the front bench in Parliament he is still there when you need

him, nobody can take away from him what great character and foresee

has. What's the answer to my question? I think it's about the

role he wants to play, we have a team under Ed Miliband and we have

to take it forward. What do you want him to do? He may be watching.

Gordon, it's good to see you in the front line of politics, it's good to

have you when we need you and it's good when you are part of our team.

I have answered your question! I think he has his own future he is

thinking about, and we have an excellent team to lead us into the

next election. You want said he used you as window dressing. I said he

wasn't giving women enough prominence and I stand by that. But

I never take away the contribution he played, and when you need him, he

steps up. Ed Miliband had no cut through in Scotland. When you have

personalities from Scotland like Alistair and Gordon, what had cut

through were some of the policies under Ed Miliband we are putting

forward. Then why does his personal ratings and at lower than David

Cameron? It is part of how people are going to vote but look...

Personal ratings for people like Margaret Thatcher haven't always

been high. When you ask people who they think is most in touch, they

say Ed Miliband. That's it for today. On the day that Ed Miliband

outlined plans for what parliamentary terms with the NHS at

its core. Whether it's the right strategy to convince the country

that Mr Miliband is the man to lead it and run the economy, we will find

out in the months ahead. Tomorrow, Andy Burnham. It followed by Yvette

Cooper. We are back at noon. We are also

back with our last great programme after Newsnight.

I'm a friend of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

What exactly does it entail, this job?

There aren't many mums who'd let their sons run off to join

the circus. Welcome to Keele University.

You can't just get things by asking. I can. Is Tony Benn in today?

How do you fancy coming to work for me? Kit man.