> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Who really owns Burnham's Labour? - URL: https://www.opendemocracy.net/weekly-email-031026/ - Published: 2026-10-03T06:00:35.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-03T06:00:35.000Z - Description: openDemocracy Weekly Newsletter 03 October 2026 weekly-email-031026 - Author: openDemocracy - Tags: Newsletter, Lobbying, Gaza, Donald Trump, Andy Burnham, Labour, Ministry of Defence, Israel & Palestine, Palestine, Palantir This week saw the Labour Party descend on Liverpool for its annual conference – the party’s third since taking office. Accompanying them, thanks to the donations of generous openDemocracy readers, were my colleagues, Ethan Shone and Sian Norris. The conference was, by all accounts, a far more jubilant affair than last year’s event; buoyed by Andy Burnham’s bloodless coup earlier this summer and the poll boost that comes from having a leader who appears even vaguely human. As Ethan writes, even many of those on Labour’s long-ostracised left felt they had renewed reason to be cheerful. “Keir Starmer saw any criticism from the trade unions and the left as a hostile attack,” one trade unionist told Ethan after Burnham’s speech, “whereas Burnham sees us more as critical friends.” Not everybody agrees, of course. Burnham’s refusal to embrace nationalisation is one source of contention, as is his plan to scrap the pensions triple lock. Writing for us, economist James Meadway explains why the latter is a bad idea – and one unlikely to generate the money it promises. “For all the relative protection from austerity, the British state pension remains among the lowest in Europe relative to average earnings,” he notes. The next election is only three years away, and ****we are determined to** ****prevent the rise of the far right.** To do that, we want to recruit 500 new monthly donors by the end of 2026\. ****Will you be part of the movement to fight the far right, with a monthly donation today?** [Become a regular supporter ](#/portal/signup) Still, for now, Burnham has been broadly able to appease both sides of the party. But, as Ethan writes in this week’s lead story, tensions still simmer under the surface – and were this week exposed by the conference’s geography. Inside, a security-gated maze of £6,600 corporate passes, complimentary bars, and slick lobbyists. Outside, protesters were dragged away by police for holding paper signs. Whose interests will win out when capital comes calling? After a busy few days in Liverpool, Sian and Ethan caught up with openDemocracy’s editor-in-chief, Aman Sethi, for a special Labour Party Conference episode of our podcast, *In Solidarity*. Both brought back reports of their differing experiences of the event, from panels on how to defeat the far-right to the prevalence of robot-lobbyists (that's lobbyists for robots, not robots that lobby, fortunately). Also in this edition, Sian reports on a warning that Putin “won’t stop at Ukraine”; longtime openDemocracy columnist Paul Rogers takes a deeper look at the confusing incident at RAF Fairford; and Guilherme Klein discusses what’s at stake in this weekend’s election in Brazil. As ever, thank you for supporting our journalism; we truly couldn’t have done this week without your donations. If you aren’t yet a regular donor, do consider becoming one. Have a great weekend! **Indra Warnes - Deputy Editor** --- [Suits vs. picket lines: Corporations, class politics and Burnham’s Labour conferenceA few days at Labour conference lays bare the vast disparity in how different groups – big business and workers in particular – pursue their political interests![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/icon/multi_solo-2a481369-834c-46a6-b748-65f2c436bcb3.png)openDemocracyEthan Shone![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/thumbnail/GettyImages-2297178184-30155a17-334c-427c-8704-0d7fcac5b279.jpg)](https://www.opendemocracy.net/suits-vs-picket-lines-corporations-class-politics-and-burnhams-labour-conference-2/) [Labour’s left gives its verdict on BurnhamThe PM has the party’s long-maligned progressives divided. Is this a new era, or a familiar fight?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/icon/multi_solo-dc3464b3-eaec-4e71-8072-d7b381fca0f4.png)openDemocracyEthan Shone![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/thumbnail/GettyImages-2297161610-ad659f16-f699-45ae-9ef6-c464f64ee559.jpg)](https://www.opendemocracy.net/labour-left-reacts-burnham-speech-party-conference-corbyn-unions-pension-nationalisation/) [Scrapping pensions triple lock won’t fund social careBurnham’s plan to fund a care system by scrapping the triple lock is a bold political vision built on shaky economics![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/icon/multi_solo-84b503da-9e0b-4f66-8f8b-d2be5542f464.png)openDemocracyJames Meadway![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/thumbnail/GettyImages-2297153113-e93829e5-677f-489e-9988-c9fe30cbb71d.jpg)](https://www.opendemocracy.net/burnham-social-care-gamble-pension-triple-lock-bold-political-vision-shaky-economics/) [Soft Tories are key to keeping Farage out of Number 10Mobilising an anti-Reform voter coalition takes work, information, and community building, says Hope Not Hate![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/icon/multi_solo-70963c4c-30df-49e1-ab78-1000c38cea45.png)openDemocracySian Norris![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/thumbnail/GettyImages-2296381973-fd154d40-f531-493c-b36f-60d9fb3abd3e.jpg)](https://www.opendemocracy.net/how-to-stop-reform-winning-next-election-farage-tactical-voting-andy-burnham-labour-hope-soft-tories/) [Putin’s next target? Russia won’t stop at Ukraine, Labour conference warnedRussia won’t stop at Ukraine, Labour conference warned![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/icon/multi_solo-866ccad5-9482-4bfe-b19e-bec5c4da6aca.png)openDemocracySian Norris![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/thumbnail/Russian-drone-attacks-Kyiv-Danylo-Antoniuk-Anadolu-via-Getty-Images-6b620df5-a5d5-4260-b769-a448aaeccec5.jpg)](https://www.opendemocracy.net/putin-ukraine-russia-tommy-robinson-hybrid-war-labour-andy-burnham/) [Palantir and the art of Tax AvoidanceDespite reporting 55% profit margins and over $1.6 billion in net income, Palantir maintains an effective global tax rate of just 1.4% and pays zero federal income tax in the United States.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/icon/multi_solo-f8a68605-683a-4ff3-914f-b1a167e0e9ad.png)openDemocracyAman Sethi![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/thumbnail/In-Solidarity-Thumbnails-1-6de78c84-bd82-43a5-a5a0-02422d6c02e7.jpg)](https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-burnham-unbreak-britain-rebuilding-the-social-contract-after-decades-of-decay/) [Lula, Bolsonaro, and Trump: The election for Brazil’s futureFlávio Bolsonaro’s Washington-aligned programme amounts to a subordinate economy confined to the US sphere of influence![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/icon/multi_solo-29fa29f5-4f83-4383-a831-4b48703cf6b0.png)openDemocracyGuilherme Klein![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/thumbnail/GettyImages-2296349369-6a51fd99-8e1c-4700-8a4c-c630f178053c.jpg)](https://www.opendemocracy.net/brazil-election-lula-flavio-bolsonaro-trump-tariffs-shape-race-future-democracy/) [RAF Fairford incident highlights UK’s role in Iran warUnless Trump agrees a peace deal, a rural Cotswolds air base could link Burnham’s government to war crimes![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/icon/multi_solo-d281faf8-1d22-4fec-92f8-14fab09b8938.png)openDemocracyPaul Rogers![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/thumbnail/GettyImages-2297506824-403bb8c9-ad44-42f9-8ebe-d246b9c0672c.jpg)](https://www.opendemocracy.net/raf-fairford-incident-highlights-uk-role-us-trump-failed-war-in-iran/) --- ## Weekly Poll How does your opinion compare to the rest of our readership? Take our new look weekly poll and find out. Have thoughts about the topic? [Send us an email](mailto:supporters@opendemocracy.net?subject=Re%3A%20Weekly%20Poll) ### Would you support changes to the pension lock scheme? | [Vote and see results →](https://www.opendemocracy.net/weekly-email-031026/?jump=poll) | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --- ## Last week's poll results ### **"The UK should relinquish its claim to the Falklands"** ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/2026/10/Poll-Results-03-10.jpg) --- ## Reader Comments openDemocracy receives so many carefully considered messages about our work that it seems a shame to keep them to ourselves. These comments are edited for clarity, accuracy and length, and are not a reflection of openDemocracy's editorial position. > I respectfully disagree with the article's framing. In my opinion, anyone who deliberately commits criminal acts, destroys property and uses unlawful direct action to advance a political cause is employing terrorist tactics. These actions are not victimless. They are designed to create fear, intimidation and uncertainty among those targeted, including employees, contractors and others connected to the organisation. > > When people are made to worry that political activists may attack their workplace, damage property or target them because of their association with a particular organisation, that goes beyond protest and becomes coercion. > > While supporters may argue that the motives were noble, I do not believe that a cause justifies tactics intended to intimidate others or force political change through fear. For that reason, I regard those involved as terrorists rather than peaceful protesters. **Aston411 |** [I was sentenced as a terrorist. Now my barrister is on trial for defending me](https://www.opendemocracy.net/palestine-action-filton-24-charlotte-head-rajiv-menon-kc-contempt-of-court-judge-johnson/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/2026/09/GettyImages-453700643.jpg) Officials at the Nigerian embassy celebrate their country's independence | Afro American Newspapers/Gado/Getty Images) ## This week in history **Nigerian independence • 1 October 1960** Nigeria became independent from Britain on 1 October 1960\. With over 180 million people today, Nigeria is Africa's most populous nation. Its independence story was shaped by the colonial-era divide-and-rule between ethnic groups, followed by military coups and the Biafran war. Encapsulating both the possibilities and the painful contradictions of African decolonisation. [Democracy in Nigeria: the road less travelledThe presidential election in Nigeria on 21 April 2007 is a crucial one for democracy on the continent. A fair and successful election in the continent’s most populous nation - and the world’s fifth largest federation (after India, the United States, Brazil and Russia) - would be a shining example![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/icon/multi_solo-c06ad8dc-905a-4fda-be7c-202d6bfad9f7.png)openDemocracyGodwin Nnanna![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3f/80/3f804bea-4b2d-4ddf-9ff0-6ec7d0afa5fa/content/images/thumbnail/oDMeta-046eb445-6e5f-4fbc-ac19-56028d254c93.jpg)](https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/nigeria-democracy-4482jsp/) ---