By GB News (Politics) | Created at 2026-09-28 06:31:24 | Updated at 2026-09-28 09:13:20
2 hours ago
John Healey will pledge to take Britain forward into a "new age of industrialisation" when he addresses the Labour Party conference for the first time as Chancellor on Monday.
The former defence secretary is expected to argue that the UK cannot return to the coal mines of its past, while setting out his economic vision based on modern industry.
Describing his politics as "shaped by the industrial heartlands of South Yorkshire", he is expected to point to the example of the former Orgreave mine, now the site of Rotherham’s Advanced Manufacturing Park.
He will say: "Our coal mines are not coming back. But this is how Britain’s industrial past is being remade now for the modern world. This is the new age of industrialisation. A new confidence in Britain."
Mr Healey, who quit as Sir Keir Starmer’s defence secretary in a row over funding for the military, is also expected to confirm that three new floating docks at HM Naval Base Clyde, Faslane, will be procured through a UK-only competition.
Ahead of his speech, he said: “By backing British shipyards, we are not only boosting national security but also securing resilience in the industries that will drive growth today while building the capabilities the country needs for the future.”
Plans for a new age of industrialisation echo Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s pledge to prioritise "reindustrialisation" as a way of boosting Britain’s sluggish growth.
However, the Chancellor is yet to mention how the Labour Party will fund the new economic vision.
Shadow Chancellor Andrew Griffith said: "These are more reheated announcements without clarity on where the money is coming from.
"Additional docks were announced months ago in the defence investment plan, which still has a £4.7billion black hole.
"John Healey resigned warning that Labour’s failure to fund defence was making Britain unsafe. Now that he is Chancellor, he still won’t fund the three per cent target he walked out over.
"Labour are running scared of making the tough choices needed to pay for Britain’s defence. All they can offer is reannounced docks and more hot air from Healey. Only the Conservatives will cut the welfare bill to fund defence."
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Two protests to be held outside Labour’s annual conference
Two protests will be held outside Labour’s annual conference today.
A leading trade union is calling for migrant workers not to be made scapegoats for the failure to invest in public services.
Unison will accuse ministers of breaking promises made to migrants who came to the UK to work in the health and social care sectors.
General secretary Andrea Egan will tell protestors outside the Liverpool conference centre that the NHS, social care and other essential services relied on the hard work of migrant staff.
Ms Egan will say: "People who came to this country to help look after our loved ones are forced to work on restricted visas under harsh rules which make them second-class citizens.
"Now the promise of being able to settle in the country after five years is not only being broken but replaced with the threat of 15 years of insecurity and exploitation. Moving the goalposts at this stage in the game is wrong and unfair.
"Migrant workers must not be made scapegoats for decades of political failure to invest in public services. The Prime Minister talks about building a national care service, an idea Unison fully supports. However, that will require respect and appreciation for what care workers do and urgent action to retain the workforce.
"The Government must drop these plans, keep the promises made to migrant workers and invest properly in public services."
The second comes from unions stepping up calls to bring outsourced public services in-house, with a protest at Labour’s annual conference on Monday.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) has called a number of strikes over the issue, including by catering staff after a report last week by the Commonwealth think tank claimed that workers were being driven to poverty because public services were being outsourced.
“Outsourced workers tend to have lower wages and more insecure working arrangements than those directly employed in the public sector," the report said.
RMT general secretary Eddie Dempsey said that more than one million people who work in public services were now on privately run contracts.
"That is a recipe for grinding poverty and poorer services, if the work is permanent so should the jobs. Bringing workers in-house makes sense for the taxpayer and the economy,” he said.
Labour confirms when 12 million Britons will be banned from using social media
Labour has revealed the date when millions of Britons will be banned from using social media as part of an "online safety" drive.
In June, then-Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced an "Australia-style" social media ban for more than 12 million under-16s, insisting the move will "protect children".
Those affected will see their access to platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, X, YouTube, Snapchat and Reddit blocked.
The Government had previously not revealed the date in which the prohibition would come into effect - until now.
During an event at the Labour conference in Liverpool on Sunday, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy confirmed the ban will come into force in March next year.
The Cabinet minister hailed the measure as an "amazing force for good", insisting it will ensure Britain becomes a "pioneer" in safety online.
"I'm determined that we will change the rights of children forever," she added.
