𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Andy Burnham was all smiles as he blew kisses and waved to the crowd when taking to the stage at the Labour Party Conference. After no national campaign to reach the doors of No 10, this was the Prime Minister’s first real chance to lay out his vision for the country.

Despite admitting Britain “isn’t where any of us would want it to be”, he was in a rather buoyant mood as he spoke of his radical plans to shake up the status quo. However, many of our pensioners will be forgiven for not feeling quite so upbeat. The landmark (and most controversial) announcement was, of course, the plan to scrap the triple lock from 2030 to pay for social care.

But it’s not just pensioners who are likely feeling aggrieved.

For it is our brave Armed Forces who continue to be left in the dark over the PM’s vision (if any) for defence.

In a speech lasting more than an hour, would you hazard a guess at how much time Mr Burnham spent speaking about defence?

The answer is just shy of 35 seconds (yes, I counted). Measly.

Addressing the crowd in Liverpool, he said: “A country which invests in people’s success, rather than abandoning them and paying for failure, will be much more resilient to the shocks we will undoubtedly face in the rest of this century.

“And more able to meet its NATO obligations on defence.

“This leadership we are showing at home will be matched on the international stage.

“I will be steadfast in my support for Ukraine and stand up to threats wherever they come from. Whether Russia, Iran or anywhere.”

For balance purposes, a couple of sentences later, he pledged “a plan for Britain that will enhance our social security and our national security”. Riveting.

What Mr Burnham stated is no more than the absolute bare minimum. The eerie silence on any meaningful defence plans is deafening… it is utter madness.

Just a day earlier, he suggested he would use the speech to announce the roadmap to hitting the new NATO spending target of 3.5% by 2035.

Assuming this page wasn’t eaten by Larry the cat, where did it go?

Both the Tories and Lib Dems slammed the lack of defence focus.

This was an open goal for Mr Burnham to prove his doubters wrong over defence. Instead, he blasted the metaphorical ball into the River Mersey.

This, of course, comes against the backdrop of rising tensions as fears of intensifying Russian sabotage and hybrid attacks grow.

The Armed Forces chief has said Britain is facing its “most dangerous period” in his 35-year career.

The head of MI6 has warned that the world is “more dangerous and contested now” than it has been for decades.

Plans to reform the triple lock, overhaul the electoral system and bolster public control of the water industry will do nothing to protect our skies or waters. Vladimir Putin is surely laughing at us.