Burnham urges Labour to 're-arm' against Tories after Senedd defeat

Andy Burnham will address the Welsh Labour conference on Saturday, where he is expected to pledge to "do things differently" and urge Welsh Labour to listen following a historic defeat at the Senedd election.

Separately, No 10 sources said the prime minister has instructed Labour to "re-arm" to fight the Conservatives at the next election, with Kemi Badenoch's party treated as a renewed electoral threat. According to those sources, the party had previously prioritised Reform and the Greens, and is now to refocus on the Tories.

The two accounts differ in emphasis rather than substance. One centres on the message to Welsh Labour after the Senedd result; the other on a shift in national election strategy. Both place Burnham at the centre of an effort to reset the party's direction.

The conference speech on Saturday is the next scheduled step, with the prime minister set to use it to set out his approach to the party's recent losses.