Sir Keir Starmer is set to tell Britons there is “light at the end of this tunnel”, but they must first join a “shared struggle” through tough short-term pressures.
In his first Labour Party conference speech as prime minister, Starmer will say he wants to “build a new Britain”, but he will warn there are no easy answers and he could not offer “false hope” about the challenges ahead.
Starmer 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 Starmer 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.
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.”
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Labour party conference: What time is Keir Starmer’s speech and what might he say?
Prime minister Keir Starmer is set to deliver his speech to the conference today. (AFP) Sir Keir Starmer is to promise a “decade of national renewal” in his Labour Party conference speech on Tuesday, in which he will also promote local autonomy.
The speech will be on the theme of “why Labour” and set out what he will do to change things after 13 years of Tory rule.
Sir Keir’s speech will follow on from that of Rachel Reeves, who promised Labour is ready to “serve, lead and rebuild Britain” during her speech on Monday.
Read the full story from the Evening Standard.
