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Starmer: There is light at the end of the tunnel but ‘this will be tough’

24 Sep 2024 5 minute read
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer rehearses his keynote speech which he will deliver to the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool on Tuesday. Photo Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

In his first Labour Party conference speech as Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer will say he wants to “build a new Britain” with faster economic growth, shorter hospital waiting lists and safer streets.

But he will warn there are no easy answers and he could not offer “false hope” about the challenges ahead.

Other measures promised by Sir Keir in his speech will include:

– A crackdown on benefit fraudsters aimed at saving £1.6 billion over five years.

– A commitment to reduce net migration by training Britons to fill vacancies in the jobs market rather than allowing employers to rely on overseas labour.

– A promise to introduce a Hillsborough Law requiring a duty of candour for public officials.

National renewal

Sir Keir will attempt to set out his positive vision of “national renewal” but the speech comes against a backdrop of anger within the Labour movement about the decision to means-test winter fuel payments, stripping them from millions of pensioners.

That decision, along with infighting behind the scenes in No 10 and rows over donations to Sir Keir and other senior Labour figures, has contributed to a party conference with a more subdued mood than might have been expected after July’s election landslide.

Sir Keir will use his speech to acknowledge that many voters were motivated by despair at the Tories and warn his party that it needs to deliver “decisive” government without putting a heavy tax burden on workers, which will mean reforming public services.

He will say: “I know this country is exhausted by and with politics. I know that the cost-of-living crisis drew a veil over the joy and wonder in our lives and that people want respite and relief, and may even have voted Labour for that reason.

“Our project has not and never will change. I changed the Labour Party to restore it to the service of working people. And that is exactly what we will do for Britain.

“But I will not do it with easy answers. I will not do it with false hope.”

Resistance

In a sign that he will be prepared to push ahead with reforms to the economy and public services despite the prospect of resistance, Sir Keir will say: “I have to warn you, working people do want more decisive government.

“They do want us to rebuild our public services and they do want that to lead to more control in their lives.

“But their pockets are not deep – not at all. So we have to be a great reforming government.”

The opening weeks of Labour’s government have been characterised by a gloomy outlook on the public finances, with the claimed £22 billion “black hole” left by the Tories blamed for the decision to squeeze winter fuel payments.

But Sir Keir will attempt to set out his end goal of creating “a Britain built to last, built with respect and built with pride”.

Tough

He will say: “The politics of national renewal are collective. They involve a shared struggle.

“A project that says, to everyone, this will be tough in the short term, but in the long term – it’s the right thing to do for our country. And we all benefit from that.”

Sir Keir will say the short-term pain will bring about the longer-term benefits more quickly.

He will say: “The truth is that if we take tough long-term decisions now, if we stick to the driving purpose behind everything we do: higher economic growth – so living standards rise in every community; our NHS facing the future – waiting lists at your hospital down; safer streets in your community; stronger borders; more opportunities for your children; clean British energy powering your home; making our country more secure… then that light at the end of this tunnel, that Britain that belongs to you, we get there much more quickly.”

Sir Keir will tell activists in Liverpool that “it will be hard” because “it’s not just that financial black hole, the £22 billion of unfunded spending commitments, concealed from our country by the Tories, it’s not just the societal black hole – our decimated public services leaving communities held together by little more than good will – it’s also the political black hole”.

“Just because we all want low taxes and good public services does not mean that the iron law of properly funding policies can be ignored.

“We have seen the damage that does, and I will not let that happen again. I will not let Tory economic recklessness hold back the working people of this country.”

Migration

The Prime Minister will commit to “reduce both net migration and our economic dependency on it”, arguing: “I have never thought we should be relaxed about some sectors importing labour when there are millions of young people, ambitious and highly talented, who are desperate to work and contribute.”

The Prime Minister will also promise a new Fraud, Error and Debt Bill to modernise the Department for Work and Pensions, allowing it to recover money lost to fraud while protecting vulnerable claimants from mounting debts.

And he will honour a commitment to the people of Liverpool by promising that a Hillsborough Law will be introduced before the next anniversary of the April 1989 football stadium disaster which claimed the lives of 97 fans.

The law will introduce a legal duty of candour on public bodies, with the potential for criminal sanctions for officials or organisations which mislead or obstruct investigations.

Sir Keir will say: “A law for Liverpool. A law for the 97. A law that people should never have needed to fight so hard to get.”


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Linda Jones
Linda Jones
19 days ago

It seems there is no plan to tackle gross inequality and the necessary redistribution of wealth in the UK. No mention either of tackling tax dodging. Starmer speech sounds like we are in for more of the same, tories in Labour clothes

Alan Jones
Alan Jones
18 days ago
Reply to  Linda Jones

All for clamping down on benefit fraud ( there’s a few around my way who treat it as a career move & lifestyle choice & know how to work the system believe me) but let’s hope it’s not done in the completely cack handed manner that the Tories introduced with Atos under the useless Cameron regime, this of course caused huge distress to those with genuine disabilities & reasons. As you say though Linda, this has to be balanced by tackling the inequalities of & the redistribution of wealth in this country. It cannot be right that the so called… Read more »

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
19 days ago

I think he is confusing politics with the end of life scenario…

Benefit fraud committed by the DWP in underpayments should be investigated then tally up the benefits ladled out to MPs and the rest up to the very top…

The workhouse mentality of The Bumbles is revolting, given all we have suffered…

Last edited 19 days ago by Mab Meirion
David
David
19 days ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

including the monarchy.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
18 days ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

The utter entitled hypocrisy runs through these people like the writing in Barmouth Rock…

Without graft the Emperor and his Spouse would stand before us naked…

The greatest of the benefit scroungers are mostly to be found in Windsor, Westminster, the City and on their Great Estates…

Last edited 18 days ago by Mab Meirion
Why vote
Why vote
19 days ago

He changed the labour party! And look at what he’s done. He can take the responsibility this he thinks he’s standing on the shoulders of giants. That’s lawyers for you.

Algie
Algie
19 days ago

Looks like the super rich have got away with it again….oh well back to the salt mine!

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