A recent poll suggested that voters favour reducing the triple lock on pensions to help finance social care reform by 48% to 28%, according to figures reported alongside live coverage that has now closed.
Speaking in an interview on Today, Labour politician Andy Burnham set out his broader arguments for changing the electoral system while defending his proposals on care funding. He said it would be difficult to view a government that won a majority with less than 30% of the vote as fully legitimate.
On the subject of electoral reform, Burnham pointed to his experience as mayor of Greater Manchester under a different voting system. "I found it better being elected under a different system as mayor of Greater Manchester, where people had one or two, they could put that on the ballot paper," he said, arguing that the possibility of winning second-preference votes encourages candidates to engage more widely with voters.
Asked why he favoured a move toward proportional representation, Burnham added: "Because you had a reason to stop on every doorstep and chat to people who might not always support your party and try and get their second preference." He said that such a system could produce more broadly based mandates for government.
Turning to the care proposals, Burnham defended his vision for a national care service and raised questions about the fairness of the current system. "There are pensioners out there who watch your programme who are paying for care costs from their basic state pension. Now, is that right or fair?" he asked, framing his argument for changes to how care is funded.
The remarks were part of wider media coverage of Burnham's speech, which prompted commentary in national newspapers highlighting his manner and policy pitch. The live reporting thread that followed the address has now been closed.