Steve Rotherham opens Labour conference making the case that devolution can dismantle Thatcherism

The Labour Party’s conference is now officially underway. From 27-30 September, thousands of party members will be gathering in Liverpool. They’ll be debating policy and the future of the party.

But most importantly, they’ll be hearing from key figures in the government about the direction they intend to take the country in. The prime minister Andy Burnham will be addressing the conference on Tuesday.

But today (Sunday 27 September), it was Burnham’s key political ally and friend Steve Rotherham that opened the conference. As the mayor of the Liverpool city-region, he spoke extensively about the city playing host to the Labour Party gathering.

He also used his speech to make the case for devolution, not just as a political good in itself, but as a means to ‘roll back Thatcherite policies’.

Rotherham told the conference: “Isn’t it great to have a Prime Minister who really understands things like devolution from the inside. Those of us interested in it have been making the case for years that if you trust places with power and resources, people from those places can do incredibly good things and do them differently than a national government – collectively, strategically better.”

He went on to speak about how he has used devolved powers in Liverpool, saying: “We’ve already bought half a billion pounds worth of new trains owned by us, the public.

“But we’re also rolling back other Thatcherite policies too. And when the likes of the Tories in Reform, the Tories in Restore, or even the few Tories that are left in the Tories, when they try to tell me that this harks back to the bygone days of the eighties, they are right aren’t they? It demonstrates the point. We’ve had to put up with failed policy after failed policy for 40 odd years, and now because of devolution, we are changing that.

“We’ve just set out plans to bring Merseyrail back into full public ownership. And a few weeks ago, just like a place down the road, we started taking our buses back under public control too. You really can’t really miss them, they’re bright yellow, and people can literally see change coming down their street.

“But buses and trains aren’t the only part of the story. On Tuesday, we launched our new Ferry Cross the Mersey. The first new vessel in 60 years – and yes, it’s boss. The best part of it though is it was built on the banks of the mighty River Mersey by Cammell Laird, and hundreds of apprentices and skilled workers delivered a vessel that generations of people will enjoy for decades to come. And now buses, trains, ferries all operate over a joined-up network designed around passengers, not shareholders.”

Rotherham continued: “That’s devolution for me in a nutshell – making sure people can actually see, use and feel real change in their everyday lives.

“The same is true of housing. I grew up in a council house, so when Andy and Angela say they want to lead the biggest revival of council and social housebuilding in decades, I want the Liverpool City Region right at the front of the queue. Proper council homes. Homes for young families who want to put down roots.”

Later in the speech, Rotherham argued that effective devolution requires national and local governent to work together. He told the conference: “That’s why this partnership between Labour in Government and Labour in our towns, cities and regions is so important. National government setting a direction, putting resources behind it and then trusting local leaders to deliver.

“It’s about giving communities more control over their own destiny. It is about rebuilding an economy that works in every part of the country. And it is about making sure that whether you were born in Kirkby, Kettering, Kennington or Keighley, you’ve got a fair chance to succeed.”

Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward