Andy Burnham calls for ‘Grenfell law’ and return of councillors on housing association boards

He added: “Imagine if this Labour government puts on the statute books that Grenfell law and empowers organisations like mine and local authorities to deliver that right in their communities. That would be truly momentous, landmark legislation.”

Elsewhere during the conference, Mr Burnham spoke at a panel organised by Shelter. He said he wants to see the return of the ‘golden share’ policy, in which councillors were guaranteed representation on local housing association boards.

The measure was introduced in the 2000s when many councils were encouraged to transfer their homes to housing providers, but it was scrapped by the Conservative government in 2017.

Mr Burnham said: “One of the things I will be asking the government to do, perhaps in the English Devolution Bill, is to restore that golden share concept where there has to be councillor representation on local housing associations.”

The mayor said he wanted “to get housing stock back under significant local control, if not fully run by councils”.

He expanded on his thoughts at the New Statesman panel on Tuesday, saying that the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in a housing association property in Rochdale showed that landlords needed more accountability to local communities.

“The council was complaining about those properties,” he said. “There’s an accountability deficit here.”

Speaking after Mr Burnham on Tuesday afternoon, prime minister Sir Keir Starmer told the party conference on Tuesday that the Hillsborough Law will be introduced in parliament before the next anniversary of the 1989 football stadium tragedy. It will include a legal duty of candour on public bodies, meaning officials who mislead or obstruct investigations could face criminal sanctions.

Explaining the law, Sir Keir referred to other major public inquiries such as the Post Office scandal, the infected blood scandal and the Grenfell Tower fire.

He said: “That was when I promised, on this stage, that if I ever had the privilege to serve our country as prime minister, one of my first acts would be to bring in a Hillsborough Law – a duty of candour.

“A law for Liverpool. A law for the 97. A law that people should never have needed to fight so hard to get. But that will be delivered by this Labour government.”

Later, he added: “The families and survivors of the Grenfell Tower, whose dignity has held up over the last seven years, has held up a mirror to Britain.”

In Greater Manchester, Mr Burnham is drawing up plans for a Good Landlord Charter to reduce stress for tenants who find it hard to pay their rent. Social landlords in the region have already agreed not to use the mandatory rent arrears eviction ground under the scheme.