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What a week. In case you somehow missed it, in his first Labour Party conference speech as leader, box-fresh Prime Minister Andy Burnham was straight out of the traps [ [link removed] ]. It’s taken a decade, but a British PM has, at long last, opened the door (just a crack) to the prospect of the UK restoring our EU membership.
This is a huge moment. To all of you, who over the past ten years have supported the mission, we want to say a huge well done - and thank you.
Whether you’ve backed our campaigning work, written to your MPs, taken to the streets, subscribed to our Substack or spread the message on social media, this would not have been possible without your enthusiasm and unwavering belief.
There is a long way to go, but together we can seize this vital moment.
Elsewhere in his speech - the Guardian rounded up reviews here [ [link removed] ] - Burnham outlined a bold set of policies aimed at making our elections more proportional, addressing intergenerational inequality, and launching a national care service. Only time will tell as to whether Burnham can deliver on his ambitions. But we’re definitely not the only ones crossing our fingers for him…
In other news, English football has been in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons, the US and UK intelligence services believe a foreign actor was involved in the strange sequence of events at RAF Fairford, and a heroic pilot averted a catastrophic tragedy over the skies of Saudi Arabia.
Read on for your Weekend Wire.
Where else could we start? Drum roll please… for the big Brexit news of the week. This, of course, is the opening of the door to EU membership [ [link removed] ]. Speaking at the Labour Conference, the PM reaffirmed what economists and the British public have been saying for years: “Brexit has done more harm than good”. We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.
Burnham announced he would be leading a discussion over Britain’s long-term future relationship with the EU at the next summit - now widely thought to be occurring towards the end of November. Outlining the various options, the Labour leader suggested full membership, a customs union, rejoining the Single Market, or keeping things as they are.
Reacting to the PM’s speech, Naomi Smith [ [link removed] ], Chief Executive of Best for Britain, said:
“It’s vital the Labour government seizes this moment, not in 2029 or a year, or six months time. With the public behind him, progressives imploring them, and the economic case etched in stone, we should signal to the EU – today – that the UK is ready to apply for membership, to take us back to where we belong at the heart of Europe.”
Recent research from Best for Britain [ [link removed] ] has illustrated that all but four British constituencies prefer EU membership over any other UK-EU policy option.
Additionally, independent econometric data from experts at Frontier Economics [ [link removed] ] shows membership would likely deliver at least £92bn to our economy and £43bn additional exports to British businesses each and every year.
This is a vital turning point - for the future of our country, and our continent.
We must capture the momentum of this opportunity to retake our place at the heart of Europe. Will you write to your MP telling them their constituency backs EU membership?
Care package
Beyond the announcement on Europe, the PM revealed a wide-ranging set of policies that seem likely to form the cornerstone of the Labour manifesto at the next election…whenever it may be.
Burnham’s speech, charged with emotion and driven by his father and his grandmother’s experience of the care system, laid out a new vision for social care in this country. Channelling the post-war period of Labour governance, Burnham spoke of the need to create a National Care Service - free at the point of use and available to all. This new programme would, he argued, be funded by changes to the triple lock mechanism for calculating pensions. The PM suggested removing the wage component of the triple lock would help to free up funds for this new service.
In another announcement, Burnham promised a commission on the UK’s electoral system - promising his party would campaign to ensure “everyone’s vote counts, and everyone’s voice is heard [ [link removed] ]“.
Resounding to the announcement, Cary Mitchell, [ [link removed] ] Executive Director of Strategy at Best for Britain, said:
“Every vote should count, and in our fragmented political landscape, proportional representation is the tool we need to become a fully functioning liberal democracy – with just the UK and Belarus currently clinging to first past the post among European countries.”
Last but not least, the former Manchester mayor spoke about the importance of ending Margaret Thatcher’s “ideological ban on public ownership of water companies”. The repeal of Thatcher’s law opens the door to the re-nationalisation of the water companies. Companies, such as Thames Water, who have come under fire in recent years for the poor quality of their service juxtaposed with the high value of their bonuses [ [link removed] ]. Add in the plethora of raw sewage spillages [ [link removed] ] and the sky-high debts [ [link removed] ] for some and we reckon Burnham might be on to a winner…
Infamous five
Last Sunday, Britain woke up to shocking reports that a prospective terrorist attack had been foiled by a farmer returning home after midnight. The five men, initially arrested on suspicion of explosives offences near the RAF Fairford base and since released on bail, were apprehended after Gloucestershire police received a call regarding “three suspicious vehicles” [ [link removed] ] travelling towards the base.
In a case which has raised more questions than answers, it was later revealed one of the five men had called 999 himself [ [link removed] ] to report the incident. Then, on Thursday, a 25-year-old man with dual UK-Iranian nationality was arrested in Westminster on suspicion of preparation of terrorist attacks [ [link removed] ] in connection to the incident. Adding further mystery, the US President Donald Trump told reporters US and British intelligence had been investigating the five men [ [link removed] ], before his Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the suspected terror plot “clearly involves the hands of a foreign actor” [ [link removed] ].
PM Andy Burnham seemed to confirm Rubio’s suggestions in an interview with the BBC’s Chris Mason stating there were “strong indications” [ [link removed] ] Iran was involved in the foiled attack. The base itself has been an important US military asset [ [link removed] ] since it was established during the Second World War in preparation for D-Day. The base is currently used to host long-range American aircraft and has been involved in operations linked to the recent conflict in the Middle East.
Cityzens Arrest
It has been a dark week for English football after Manchester City, the dominant team of the last fifteen years, were found guilty on all 114 charges [ [link removed] ] on they were being investigated for.
The Premier League, the globally influential top division of English football, confirmed the Manchester-based club had been found guilty of breaching financial rules over a nine-year period, artificially inflating the value of their sponsorship income by over £900 million.
Premier League clubs are obliged to follow strict rules on spending to ensure fairness and sustainability and some are arguing City’s actions are tantamount to financial doping. The independent commission investigating the club revealed City had arranged “shame contracts” with commercial partners inflating revenue and hiding costs.
The ruling has sparked fury amongst the football community and a wide range of punishments have been touted ranging from points deductions, to expulsion from the league, and even the stripping of titles won during the period.
Writing in The Guardian, Jonathan Liew [ [link removed] ] said:
“This was one of the reasons why it was such a bad idea for the Premier League to allow entire states to invest in football clubs. Over time it was inevitable that questions of sporting merit and integrity would become entangled with questions of diplomacy and hard power.”
Seize the moment
Writing to all our Substack subscribers this week - our CEO Naomi Smith stressed the vital importance of Britain seizing the opportunity [ [link removed] ] the Prime Minister outlined in his speech on Tuesday. She argued:
“We have a real chance now, to put things right - and our politicians, of all parties, need to hear us - all of us - screaming it from the rooftops. It’s on us, now, to seize the moment to make that possibility a reality. To turn an abstract promise of a better future someday, into an actual fact of a measurably improved today.
To generate the colossal economic transformation - the £92bn for our economy, at the very least - and the political landing space this opportunity offers. This is a pivot point for our country. For every scientist, trader, and small business. For every car-maker, construction worker and world-class creative, from Clydeside to Cowes, Cornwall to Costessey.”
Every moment matters. Every letter to an MP, every post shared, and conversation had around living rooms and dining tables in the country. We cannot do this alone, but we can do it. And we must. Every penny that goes towards supporting this Substack, or any donation towards Best for Britain, gives us the tools we need to fight tooth and nail to make our collective dream a reality.
We have done the polling. We have done the economic research. We have travelled up and down the length and breadth of this country. But the job is not yet done - we must now ensure Britain returns to the heart of Europe as a full member of the European Union. And we need your help.
Subscribe to The Best for Britain Wire to help fund this campaign
Flydubai stabbing
Passengers on a flight bound for Tel Aviv from Dubai on Wednesday managed to wrestle control of the aircraft [ [link removed] ] from a rogue pilot after he had stabbed his co-pilot and begun to plunge the plane towards the ground. Co-pilot Smit Machhar was able to open the cockpit door whilst still being attacked, saving the lives of the 170 passengers on board.
The flight had been hurtling towards the ground, dropping more than 5,200m before the assailant was overpowered and stopped. Passengers were then able to stabilise the plane before making a safe emergency landing in Saudi Arabia [ [link removed] ] where the pilot accused of the attack has since been detained and put under investigation. Israeli plumber Yaniv Hayoun revealed he had grabbed the plane’s controls and “started pulling back the handles” [ [link removed] ] as he had seen on TV, before other crew members took control of the aircraft.
Fighting the Good fight
The family of Renee Good, the woman killed by ICE in Minneapolis, launched two lawsuits against the Trump administration this week. Good’s brother Brent Ganger, and her partner, Becca Good brought the lawsuit claiming the government were responsible for her death and had developed “an unprecedented environment of state-sponsored violence” [ [link removed] ]. Renee’s partner spoke movingly about how “the whole world watched as our entire universe was destroyed”.
Since Trump entered the White House, a staggering 60 people have died [ [link removed] ] directly at the hands of ICE or in detention according to National Immigration Project, an advocacy group in the US.
Good news for Britain’s wildlife this week after Environment Secretary Angela Eagle pledged to plant half a million trees over the next three years to combat the rise of extreme weather. The £79 million boost will allow mayors and local authorities to restore natural landscapes to guard against flooding and droughts.
Eagle said [ [link removed] ]: “In areas where nature has been allowed to flourish, the ground held more water, and the droughts were less severe. On streets where trees have been planted, the shade meant temperatures were lower. And when rain finally came, those same trees reduced the risk of floods. We all deserve access to the benefits that nature can bring.”
Do you think she will ever get it?
Tomorrow millions of Brazilians will head to the polls in the first-round of the national presidential election. Voters look set to pit left-wing incumbent Lula against the son of convicted criminal and former President Jair Bolsonaro in the second round.
Bolsonaro Jr has campaigned on a mission to free his father who was imprisoned after being convicted of launching a coup [ [link removed] ] against democracy after losing the 2022 Brazilian Election himself.
Closer to home, party conference season continues in force as the Green Party and Plaid Cymru continue their shindigs, which kicked off in Brighton and Llandudno respectively yesterday. While Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badenoch takes the stage to open the Tory conference in Birmingham tomorrow.
Have a lovely weekend.
Joshua Edwicker
Senior Content Officer
Best for Britain

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