Burnham pledges to turn ‘light of hope back on’

LABOUR leadership contender Andy Burnham has pledged to end free schools, axe tuition fees and increase the minimum wage for young people in his manifesto.

The Shadow Health Secretary and Leigh MP has set out his ‘radical’ vision for the country, claiming it has ‘something to say to everyone, everywhere’.

Mr Burnham, currently the frontrunner according to some polls, pledges to:

Renationalise the railways

Phase out free schools and academies, bringing schools back under local authority control

Axe tuition fees and replace them with a graduate tax

Extend the £9 minimum wage rise to those under 25

Reverse tough new union rules

Promising something for people in ‘every postcode’, he said: “People at all levels of society share the same hopes: a secure job, a decent home, a good standard of living, prospects for their kids and proper care for their parents.

“But in our insecure, modern world, for far too many people, these dreams are dying. It will be the mission of the Labour Party I lead into government to revive them – and turn the light of hope back on.”

Mr Burnham said he would ‘invigorate’ comprehensive schools by stopping the ‘growing market of free schools and academies’.

His left-wing rival, Jeremy Corbyn, claimed for the first time this week he could get Labour into government if he won the leadership race. Mr Corybn was the first candidate to pledge to renationalise the railways. He set out his plans for housing earlier this week – including scrapping the ‘bedroom tax’, Trident and the benefit cap and giving councils more powers to build new homes.

Mr Burnham is ahead in the leadership race, according to the most recent opinion polls.

Labour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham