Sir Keir Starmer is facing a vote from unions to reverse the controversial cut to the winter fuel payments.
A motion will be debated today during Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool which is expected to receive strong support from unions.
Unite and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will put forward the motion. General secretary Sharon Graham described the policy as “cruel” and has called on the prime minister to admit he made a “misstep”.
The vote calls for means testing of the winter fuel allowance to be reversed and for an end to fiscal rules which prevent borrowing to invest, as well as the introduction of a wealth tax.
The prime minister said in his conference speech on Tuesday that he understood concern over the winter fuel allowance but stressed that stabilising the economy was the first step of a long-term plan, adding: “Every pensioner will be better off with Labour.”
Sir Keir has now left the conference to join world leaders at the United Nations with a promise to deliver “global leadership” as the Middle East teeters on the brink of all-out conflict and the bloody war in Ukraine grinds on.
The Independent’s political team will be reporting live throughout the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.
Key Points
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Unions to press for winter fuel allowance cut to be reversed
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Starmer warns people need to look for work as he tackles ‘worklessness’
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Prime minister heads to UN as Middle East tensions rise
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Starmer mistakenly calls for ‘return of the sausages’ in Gaza
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PM interrupted by protester during Labour conference speech
Starmer plans to meet with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump before US election
08:25 , Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer said he wanted to meet both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump before November’s US presidential election.
The prime minister is in New York for the UN General Assembly and it is unclear whether he will be able to meet the two White House rivals on this trip.
But he told reporters travelling with him: “As far as the candidates are concerned, look, if possible, it would be very good to meet both of them at some stage before the election. We’ll just have to see what’s possible.
“But I’m going for the General Assembly. I don’t doubt that a lot of time is going to be spent on the Middle East and Ukraine”
He said “it will be really important for us to have the conversations with our allies about the situation in both of those areas”.
Starmer heads to UN as Middle East tensions rise and Ukraine war rages
08:20 , Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer will make his United Nations debut as prime minister with a promise to deliver “global leadership” as the Middle East teeters on the brink of all-out conflict and the bloody war in Ukraine grinds on.
The prime minister’s two-day visit to New York comes as Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire across the Lebanon border and while Ukraine continues to push for permission to use UK and US-supplied missiles to strike at targets within Russia.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky is in the US lobbying for support, although so far US president Joe Biden has resisted calls for American missiles to be targeted at airbases and other facilities in Russia.
Without a shift in the US position, a breakthrough on the issue would appear unlikely in New York.
Sir Keir will use his speech at the UN General Assembly, the annual gathering of leaders, to set out how the UK will step up to play its part, guided by the rule of law, in a world dominated by conflict – notably in the Middle East, Ukraine and Sudan.
In his speech, due to take place on Thursday, he will say: “We are returning the UK to responsible global leadership. This is the moment to reassert fundamental principles and our willingness to defend them. To recommit to the UN, to internationalism, to the rule of law.
“Because I know that this matters to the British people. War, poverty and climate change all rebound on us at home. They make us less secure, they harm our economy, and they create migration flows on an unprecedented scale.
“The British people are safer and more prosperous when we work internationally to solve these problems, instead of merely trying to manage their effects.
“So, the responsible global leadership that we will pursue is undeniably in our self-interest.”
Labour considering ban on smoking outside pubs
08:15 , Salma Ouaguira
Health secretary Wes Streeting has confirmed Labour is considering a ban on smoking outside pubs.
He told Sky News: “We definitely want to see smoking phased out in our country, we committed to that in our manifesto.
“We want to make sure this generation of children are the healthiest generation that ever lived and therefore they will never be able to legally buy cigarettes.
“We are looking at a range of other measures to also help people who are currently smoking to quit, and also to deal with the scourge of second-hand smoke and passive smoking, which is also harmful. We’ll be setting out our proposals on that shortly.”
Asked if he will ban smoking outside pubs, he said: “Look, that’s one of the measures that I’m considering, and I’m up for a national debate on this issue.
“We have got to do two things – reform the health service, but also reform public health, because we might be living longer, but we’re becoming sicker sooner and there is a heavy price being paid for that in our economy, our public finances and in our own health.”
Keir made a slip of the tongue… but it was still a banger of a speech
08:14 , Salma Ouaguira
The PM was so statesmanlike that he even managed to make sausages sound like an extra policy commitment. This was Starmer’s day, writes Joe Murphy:
‘Superman’ Starmer made a slip of the tongue – but it was still a banger of a speech
What was announced in Starmer’s Labour conference speech?
08:10 , Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer’s address to the 2024 Labour Party Conference saw him promise to rebuild Britain “brick by brick” after fourteen years of Tory government, telling conference delegates his government will create a “Britain that belongs to you”.
But what exactly was announced? We look at the key developments from the prime minister’s speech below.
Everything that was announced in Starmer’s Labour conference speech
Streeting: NHS waiting lists will be ‘demonstrably lower’
08:04 , Salma Ouaguira
NHS waiting lists will be “demonstrably lower” by the next general election, health secretary Wes Streeting has said.
He told Sky News: “By the next general election, waiting lists will be demonstrably lower because I know that’s how I will be judged, how the Prime Minister will be judged, how the government will be judged – people will judge us by our actions, not just our words ultimately.
“Look at what I did as the Health and Social Care Secretary within my first weeks in office: I took action to implement the junk food ad ban targeted kids; took action to employ 1,000 more GPs onto the front lines because they found themselves bizarrely unemployed at the same time as patients are unable to find a GP, so that’s making a real impact as those GPs get onto the front line and, of course, took action within three weeks to do something the Conservatives failed to do in 18 months, which was to end the junior doctors dispute.”
It comes as the UK and Welsh governments are to collaborate to ensure access to everything from operations to dentists.
More than seven million people are currently waiting for treatment and Mr Streeting previously said that waiting lists need to be “millions lower” in the next five years.
Watch: Starmer mistakenly calls for ‘return of the sausages’
08:01 , Salma Ouaguira
Starmer mistakenly calls for ‘return of sausages’ in major Labour conference speech
PM suggests £20,000 donation was for ‘son to study for GCSEs’
08:00 , Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer has suggested he accepted £20,000 in donations for accommodation because his son needed somewhere to revise for his GCSEs while his family home was besieged by journalists during the election campaign.
The prime minister defended his decision to take gifts from Labour peer Lord Alli amid criticism of the arrangement, saying he was “not going to apologise for not doing anything wrong” and the freebies did not “cost the taxpayer a penny”.
But Sir Keir signalled he could continue to accept hospitality from donors, saying that it was a matter of “judgment” for individual MPs whether they receive certain kinds of donations.
In a series of broadcast interviews following his speech to the Labour Party annual conference, he also said the transition to Downing Street had been “really difficult” for his two children, who were previously raised in North London.
Asked about the donations, Sir Keir said that around £20,000 he had declared from Lord Alli for unspecified accommodation was for his teenager to study for exams in a “peaceful” atmosphere while the then-Labour leader was overwhelmed with media attention in the run-up to the election.
“My boy, 16, was in the middle of his GCSEs. I made him a promise, a promise that he would be able to get to his school, do his exams, without being disturbed,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“We have lots of journalists outside our house where we live and I’m not complaining about that, that’s fine.
“But if you’re a 16-year-old trying to do your GCSEs and it’s your one chance in life – I promised him we would move somewhere, get out of the house and go somewhere where he could be peacefully studying.
“Somebody then offered me accommodation where we could do that. I took that up and it was the right thing to do.”
Labour unveils plan to shut women’s prisons amid overcrowding crisis
07:52 , Salma Ouaguira
Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood has set out plans to slash the number of women going to jail and ultimately close women’s prisons amid an overcrowding crisis.
She unveiled a new body, the women’s justice board, which will have the “ultimate ambition of having fewer women’s prisons” – potentially allowing them to be converted to male or mixed jails.
The prison population in England and Wales hit a record new high a fortnight ago, with 88,521 people behind bars – but there are just 3,440 women in jail.
More than half – 55 per cent – are victims of domestic abuse, while two-thirds have committed non-violent offences. Ministers want to improve services like community support and residential women’s centres to provide an alternative to prison.
Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin has the full story below:
Justice Secretary unveils plan to shut women’s prisons amid overcrowding crisis
Streeting insists pensioners ‘will be better off this winter than they were last winter’
07:42 , Salma Ouaguira
Wes Streeting, who is doing the morning media round, has repeated claims made by Sir Keir Starmer that pensioners will be better off under the Labour Party.
The health secretary has defended plans to means test the winter fuel payment, which will scrap the benefit from millions of pensioners.
He told Sky News: “The Conservatives left a £22bn hole in the public finances. They weren’t straight with the British people ahead of the general election.
“They were spending like there was no tomorrow, because I think they were assuming that for the Conservative government, there was no tomorrow.
“They were spending recklessly, hoping that would carry them through the general election. And now this Labour government is picking up the pieces.”
Starmer warns people need to look for work as he tackles ‘worklessness’
07:25 , Salma Ouaguira
Keir Starmer has warned benefit claimants they need to look for work after announcing that he is committed to tackling “worklessness”.
During the Labour Party conference on Tuesday, the prime minister said: “The basic proposition that you should look for work is right. People need to look for work, but they also need support.
“That’s why I’ve gone out to look at schemes where businesses are supporting people back into work from long-term sickness.”
According to official figures, nearly three million people are currently out of work due to ill health, which is a 500,000 increase from 2019.
Starmer says Netanyahu criticism over export suspension is wrong
07:15 , Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer has said Benjamin Netanyahu’s criticism of the UK government’s decision to suspend some arms export licences to Israel, amid concerns they could be used in violation of international humanitarian law, is wrong.
The prime minister rejected his Israeli counterpart’s accusation that the move had been “misguided”, in comments that are likely to anger Tel Aviv.
He described Israel as a “very important ally” and said he had “long respected and supported its right to self-defence” but said Britain had to comply with international rules.
Asked whether he agreed with Mr Netanyahu’s intervention, Sir Keir told LBC: “No, he’s not right about that and we have to comply with international law and our own domestic law in relation to that.”
The new Labour government has suspended about 30 out of a total of 350 arms export licences to Israel, after a UK assessment suggested they could be used to breach international rules.
Sir Keir was speaking ahead of his United Nations debut as head of government, while the Middle East teeters on the edge of all-out war.
In a flurry of broadcast interviews before flying to the New York summit from the Labour party conference in Liverpool, Sir Keir said the situation was “very close to the brink” and that the UK had to tread carefully in its response to the conflict.
“I have long supported Israel’s right to self-defence and that has been absolutely clear and consistent with everything I’ve ever said,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“But the point we’re at now is very close to the bone and that’s why we need to de-escalate.
“It doesn’t mean we walk away from the problems, it doesn’t mean we don’t recognise the threat that Israel is under, which is very real, but this escalation is getting to a point where the right thing now to do is to de-escalate, have a ceasefire and make sure we can progress in a different way.”
Unions to press for winter fuel allowance cut to be reversed
07:14 , Salma Ouaguira
Unions will press the government to reverse its controversial cut to the winter fuel allowance.
A motion will be debated on the final day of Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool which is expected to receive strong support from unions.
Unite and the Communication Workers Union (CWU) will put forward the motion, which was originally set to be debated on Monday.
Unite general secretary Sharon Graham has described the policy as “cruel” and has called on the prime minister to admit he made a “misstep”.
She has said: “The first thing Labour does is to take away the winter fuel allowance from the poorest in our society while they leave the wealthiest people pretty much untouched.”
CWU officials will not be at Labour’s conference today as they are attending the funeral in Scotland of the union’s former assistant general secretary Andy Kerr, who used to be on Labour’s national executive.
CWU general secretary Dave Ward told the PA news agency that the union will continue to campaign for the policy to change.
“We don’t accept it is good economics,” he said.
The motion being debated says that workers and communities voted for change, “not cuts to the winter fuel allowance”.
“We need a vision where pensioners are not the first to face a new wave of cuts and those that profited from decades of deregulation finally help to rebuild Britain,” it says.
How would you rate Keir Starmer’s Labour government so far?
07:00 , Salma Ouaguira
Nearly half of Britons have voiced their disappointment with the new Labour government, following “sleaze” allegations, controversy over Sue Gray’s salary, and a heated debate over cuts to the winter fuel allowance. Now it’s time to have your say…
Is your “honeymoon” with Labour over? How have recent events impacted your opinion of Starmer and his government?
Share your thoughts by adding them here — we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.
VOICES | It seems Angela Rayner isn’t quite so ‘working class hero’ after all
06:00 , Salma Ouaguira
…how disappointing (and hypocritical), writes Emma Clarke. When it comes to taxpayers’ money and ‘gifts’, accountability is key:
It seems Angela Rayner isn’t quite so ‘working class hero’ after all…
IN FOCUS | Angela Rayner and what the politician’s ‘vanity photographer’ saw
04:00 , Tara Cobham
As a row is sparked over whether the deputy prime minister has or hasn’t hired someone to document her working life, Simon Mills takes a look at everyone from Barack Obama to Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage who has done the same and hears how ‘tacky and tawdry’ it can be on the other side of the lens:
Angela Rayner and confessions of politician’s ‘vanity photographer’
GB Energy to be headquartered in Aberdeen, Starmer confirms
03:00 , Tara Cobham
GB Energy will be headquartered in Aberdeen, Sir Keir Starmer has said.
Sir Keir and Labour had promised in the lead-up to the election that GB Energy – which he has described as an “investment vehicle” – would have its headquarters north of the border, sparking speculation and repeated questions over where it would be located.
In his first speech to the Labour Party conference since entering Downing Street in July, the prime minister said the agency “could only ever be based in one place in Scotland”.
Addressing delegates in Liverpool on Tuesday, he said: “We said, GB Energy, our publicly-owned national champion, the vehicle that will drive forward our mission on clean energy, we said it belonged in Scotland, and it does.
“But the truth is, it could only really ever be based in one place in Scotland.
“So today, I can confirm that the future of British energy will be powered as it has been for decades, by the talent and skills of the working people in the Granite City, with GB Energy based in Aberdeen.”
‘Useless liar’ Starmer hit by damning poll finding
02:00 , Tara Cobham
Sir Keir Starmer has been branded a “useless liar” by the public in a damning poll released ahead of his Labour conference speech, Archie Mitchell writes.
A Savanta word cloud showed the words most commonly associated with the prime minister were overwhelmingly negative.
UK rejects ‘racist thugs’, says Starmer as he vows to restore ‘control’
01:00 , Tara Cobham
Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to cut immigration but rejected claims that the summer’s rioters were “one and the same” as people with legitimate concerns about migration.
Addressing the Labour conference for the first time as prime minister, Sir Keir condemned the “violent thuggery” seen on Britain’s streets over the summer, saying: “The country sees you and it rejects you.”
He said he would “never accept the argument… that millions of people concerned about immigration are one and the same thing as people who smashed up businesses, targeted mosques, attempted to burn refugees, scrawled racist graffiti over walls, Nazi salutes at the Cenotaph, attacked NHS nurses and told people with different coloured skin, people who contribute here, people who grew up here, that they should ‘go home’.
“No, people concerned about immigration were not doing that, because they understand that this country, this democratic country, is built on the rule of law, the ballot box, the common understanding that we debate our differences.”
Drawing loud applause from the audience in the conference hall in Liverpool, the Prime Minister promised: “I will never let a minority of violent, racist thugs terrorise our communities.”
He went on to stress that the debate about immigration was about “control”, not “the worth of migrants”.
Watch: Starmer mistakenly calls for ‘return of the sausages’
Wednesday 25 September 2024 00:00 , Salma Ouaguira
Starmer mistakenly calls for ‘return of sausages’ in major Labour conference speech
Starmer promises to ‘rise above challenges’ to deliver new Britain
Tuesday 24 September 2024 23:00 , Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer said people must “face the storm” in order to make a “Britain built to last” as he warned of further tough decisions to turn the country around.
In his first Labour Party conference speech as prime minister, Sir Keir set out plans to “clear out the Tory rot”, with a new era of political leadership creating a country “renewed by respect and service”.
In a speech briefly disrupted by a pro-Palestine heckler, he said the “wounds of trust” left by the Conservatives needed to be healed as he acknowledged that addressing that legacy would require unpopular decisions.
“If they were popular, they’d be easy.
“But the cost of filling that black hole in our public finances, that will be shared fairly,” he told activists in Liverpool.
“We will get the welfare bill down because we will tackle long-term sickness and support people back to work.
“We will make every penny work for you because we will root out waste and go after tax avoiders. There will be no stone left unturned.”
But there would be “no return to Tory austerity”, he said.
Everything that was announced in Keir Starmer’s Labour conference speech
Tuesday 24 September 2024 22:00 , Tara Cobham
Sir Keir Starmer’s address to the 2024 Labour Party Conference saw him promise to rebuild Britain “brick by brick” after fourteen years of Tory government, telling conference delegates his government will create a “Britain that belongs to you”.
But what exactly was announced? We look at the key developments from the prime minister’s speech below:
Everything that was announced in Starmer’s Labour conference speech
Starmer calls for Israel and Hezbollah to ‘pull back from the brink’
Tuesday 24 September 2024 21:00 , Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer has called for parties in the Middle East to “pull back from the brink” and for a ceasefire in Gaza amid rising tensions between Hezbollah and Israel.
The prime minister told the Labour Party conference: “This is a time when great forces demand a decisive government prepared to face the future. We can see that again in the Middle East today.
“So I call again for restraint and de-escalation at the border between Lebanon and Israel. Again, all parties to pull back from the brink.
“I call again for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the return of… the hostages, and a recommitment to the two-state solution, a recognised Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.
“And that’s the message I will take to the UN General Assembly when I travel there later today, alongside our steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.”
Labour has faced pressure to suspend arms export licences to Israel after a UK assessment found there was a “clear risk certain military exports to Israel might be used in violations of international humanitarian law”.
The government suspended around 30 licences from a total of approximately 350 earlier this month.
During Sir Keir’s speech, a protester shouted “children of Gaza” from the crowd.
The prime minister replied: “While he’s been protesting, we’ve been changing the party. That’s why we’ve got a Labour government.”
Veterans, care leavers and domestic abuse victims will be housed, Starmer vows
Tuesday 24 September 2024 20:00 , Tara Cobham
Veterans, young care leavers and victims of domestic abuse will be given a “guaranteed roof over their head”, Sir Keir Starmer has promised.
The Prime Minister pledged that “homes will be there for heroes” as he vowed to “house all veterans in housing need”.
He also said young care leavers and victims of domestic abuse “will have the security they deserve”, as he addressed issues around current requirements to have a local connection in order to get housing support in many areas.
The changes will mean all three groups will be exempt from local connection or residency tests which most councils have in place to determine who can qualify for social housing.
Speaking at the Labour conference on Tuesday, Sir Keir said: “We have started the hard yards of planning reform, because we are facing up to decisions ignored for years, and because we are introducing new planning passports that will turbo-charge housebuilding in our inner cities, we can make the very same guarantee for other people at risk of homelessness.
“Young care leavers, victims of domestic abuse. They will have the security they deserve. They will have a guaranteed roof over their head. Because Britain belongs to them.”
The PM referred to homelessness among veterans as “another injustice hiding in plain sight on our streets”.
There were 2,270 households owed a homelessness duty with a member that previously served in the Armed Forces in the year to March, according to Government figures. This was up by a quarter, from 1,820 households in the year to March 2019.
Sir Keir said: “In every town and city in this country. People who were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, who put their lives on the line to protect us all, but who will not have a safe place to sleep tonight.
“We cannot stand by and let this happen anymore. And so today, I can announce that this Government will respect that service. We will repay those who served us and house all veterans in housing need. Homes will be there for heroes.”
Watch: Underestimate Sue Gray at your peril, Angela Rayner warns ‘entitled men’
Tuesday 24 September 2024 19:30 , Tara Cobham
Underestimate Sue Gray at your peril, Angela Rayner warns ‘entitled men’
In pictures: Keir Starmer Labour party conference speech
Tuesday 24 September 2024 19:00 , Salma Ouaguira
Union boss says Starmer offers ‘positive vision’ for workers
Tuesday 24 September 2024 18:30 , Salma Ouaguira
Gary Smith, GMB general secretary, said: “I genuinely believe Keir Starmer and his government get working people and the need to bring back opportunities.
“He offered a positive vision of the future and a country we can be proud of. The Tories left our carers wearing bin bags as PPE. Keir Starmer shows under Labour they will get the respect they deserve.
“GMB members will be very encouraged by what they just heard. There is so much to be hopeful about.”
Parliament has already backed proposed cuts to winter fuel allowance, chancellor says
Tuesday 24 September 2024 18:23 , Tara Cobham
Parliament has already backed proposed changes to the winter fuel allowance, the Chancellor has said ahead of an expected vote on the policy at the Labour Party conference.
Rachel Reeves told a fringe event at the conference: “Conference will vote on that motion which I think includes fiscal rules, a wealth tax and the winter fuel payment.
“But Parliament has already voted on this a couple of weeks ago and there was overwhelming support for restricting winter fuel payments to just those pensioners on pension credit.
“I think the reason why, in the end, MPs did vote that way is because of a recognition that the triple lock will protect pensioner incomes.”
Ms Reeves also said the new Government’s actions to promote uptake of pension credit had seen 13,000 people had applied for pension credit in the past week – a “sharp increase” on the number in the same period last year.
She said: “Because of the actions this Labour Government is taking, the poorest pensioners will not only keep their winter fuel payment but are likely to get hundreds of pounds extra every year through getting the pension credit which the previous Tory government, although they are now saying they care about pensioner poverty, made no effort to boost the take-up of pension credit.”
Yes, ‘Superman’ Starmer made a slip of the tongue – but it didn’t take away from a banger of a speech
Tuesday 24 September 2024 18:19 , Joe Murphy
The “return of the sausages” was not in Labour’s manifesto, but somehow in the excitement of his first conference speech as prime minister, Keir Starmer made it an extra policy commitment.
Did he really just say that? Yes, he somehow managed to garble the word “hostages” during a heavy passage about the Middle East. But it simply didn’t matter because this was “Superman” Starmer’s day – the day his cantankerous and impossible party finally conceded that, yes, all things considered, it loved its leader.
The thing about Labour is you can never take the hall for granted. And despite a summer of winter fuel discontent, briefing wars and now a scandal over his £16,200 clothing freebies (how does a man whose suits look identical run up such a high bill?), the cheers of 5 July echoed again.
Read more here:
‘Superman’ Starmer made a slip of the tongue – but it was still a banger of a speech
EXCLUSIVE | Crackdown over taxpayer-funded university courses for top executives
Tuesday 24 September 2024 18:00 , Salma Ouaguira
Keir Starmer has announced a crackdown on the use of taxpayers’ money for university courses for top executives – in a victory for an Independent campaign.
Ministers were under pressure to act after this publication revealed that more than £1bn of taxpayers’ money was being used to fund masters-level courses for top executives.
Now in a shake-up of the apprenticeship levy the prime minister is announcing a shake-up to restrict its use for postgraduate courses.
Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin has the full story:
Crackdown after fury over taxpayer-funded MBA university courses for top executives
Reeves: We are removing barriers for business
Tuesday 24 September 2024 17:39 , Political Correspondent Archie Mitchell
Rachel Reeves is addressing a fringe event at the Labour conference on how her party plans to grow the economy.
The chancellor has told attendees at the IPPR reception that Labour’s early moves to remove barriers for businesses will have the longest-lasting impact, including lifting the moratorium on onshore wind farms.
She is being joined by Heather Boushey, Member of the Council of Economic Advisers at The White House.
Watch: Reaction to Keir Starmer’s Labour conference speech
Tuesday 24 September 2024 17:32 , Tara Cobham
Sir Keir Starmer speech in full as PM addresses Labour Party conference
Tuesday 24 September 2024 17:31 , Tara Cobham
Sir Keir Starmer has delivered his first Labour conference speech as prime minister as he vowed to “return this great nation to the service of working people”.
Speaking as he faced criticism over his acceptance of gifts and hospitality, and his new government warned of hard times ahead with cuts to pensioners’ winter fuel allowance, Sir Keir insisted to delegates in Liverpool that there was a “light at the end of the tunnel” for Britain.
Sir Keir was met with rapturous applause from delegates on Tuesday afternoon. Although a lone protester near the end of his speech shouting “children of Gaza” was escorted from the venue.
You can read the PM’s conference speech in full here:
Sir Keir Starmer speech in full as PM addresses Labour Party conference
Starmer is ‘the new George Osborne’, says John McDonnell
Tuesday 24 September 2024 17:30 , Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer has become a “replica of George Osborne” by refusing to “end austerity”, former Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell said on Tuesday.
Mr McDonnell criticised the prime minister after reports that he will use his speech to the Labour conference to warn of “tough decisions” facing the government.
The MP for Hayes and Harlington, who was stripped of the Labour whip after rebelling against the government to call for the removal of the two-child benefit cap, said: “I don’t say this lightly but if you close your eyes and listen to the language being used it is almost like George Osborne speaking again in 2010”.
Our political correspondent Millie Cooke has the full story:
Starmer is ‘the new George Osborne’ says John McDonnell
Starmer: Training system funding to be ‘rebalanced’ to aid the young gain skills
Tuesday 24 September 2024 17:17 , Tara Cobham
The Prime Minister has announced that funding for the training system will be “rebalanced” to help young people gain skills.
He told Labour’s annual conference that foundation apprenticeships will be launched as the first step to a “youth guarantee”.
He said: “We’ve got to give businesses more flexibility to adapt to real training needs. Rebalancing funding in our training system back to young people.”
There will be a new growth and skills levy which will replace the existing apprenticeship levy and include new foundation apprenticeships.
The new apprenticeships will give young people a route in to careers in critical sectors, enabling them to earn a wage whilst developing skills.
The Government said the new levy will allow funding for shorter apprenticeships, giving learners and employers greater flexibility over their training than under the existing system – where apprenticeships must run for at least 12 months.
To fund this, employers are being asked to rebalance their funding which will involve businesses funding more of their level 7 apprenticeships – equivalent to a master’s degree and often accessed by older or already well qualified employees – outside of the levy.
Student who protested at Starmer’s speech lambasts lack of action on Gaza
Tuesday 24 September 2024 17:15 , Tara Cobham
The 18-year-old student who protested against the prime minister’s speech at the Labour Party conference said he was moved to act by Sir Keir Starmer’s “sickening” lack of action in the Middle East.
Daniel Riley was a delegate and Labour Party member who was not acting on behalf of an organisation or protest group, but said the Labour leader was expressing “empty platitudes” when he called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The new Labour Government has suspended about 30 out of a total of 350 arms export licences to Israel, amid concerns they could be used in violation of international humanitarian law in the Gaza conflict.
But protesters have lined the exterior of the conference centre in Liverpool with signs accusing the Government of being “complicit in genocide”.
Mr Riley told reporters after he was released by security: “Every day we’re still sending British bombs and British bullets that are being used in Lebanon and in Gaza right now, and the prime minister, he could stop that, he could stop that right now, but he doesn’t. And he says that he wants things to stop, but he won’t lift a finger to actually stop it.”
Asked if he had planned to disrupt the leader’s speech, Mr Riley said: “No, I was a delegate, I’m a Labour Party member, I hoped I’d be one for life but I suspect not now.
“What’s happened, and just the complete failure of Keir Starmer and the Labour Party to address it, it’s just completely sickening.”
Listening to the prime minister’s speech, Mr Riley said: “I was just angry, I mean at myself I guess for not saying anything at the time, but again, like I say, just for him coming out to say he wanted a ceasefire, but not taking any of the actions. And I was just angry, in the end, I decided I would do it.”
When asked to clarify what he shouted during the speech, because of the ensuing noise from delegates that drowned out his criticism, Mr Riley said: “Not really sure myself, to be honest. Just saying that while he was talking about providing opportunities for children, children in Gaza and children in Lebanon are having British bombs and bullets rain down on them because he won’t lift a finger to stop them.”
Justice secretary says she wants to reduce number of women going into prison
Tuesday 24 September 2024 17:11 , Tara Cobham
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood said she wants to reduce the number of women going into prison, adding the “ultimate ambition” is to have fewer women’s prisons.
Ms Mahmood said prison “isn’t working” for women, telling the Labour Party conference in Liverpool: “Rather than encouraging rehabilitation, prison forces women into a life of crime.”
Ms Mahmood highlighted a 2007 review related to women and the criminal justice system, adding: “It was clear then and it’s clear now that if we change how we treat women in prison, we cut crime, we keep families together and we end the harm that passes from one generation to the next.
“For that reason I am today announcing that this Government will launch a new body – the Women’s Justice Board.
“It’s goal will be clear: to reduce the number of women going into prison with the ultimate ambition of having fewer women’s prisons.”
GB Energy announcement welcomed as Starmer urged to ‘accelerate’ action
Tuesday 24 September 2024 17:10 , Tara Cobham
The announcement of GB Energy being based in Aberdeen has been welcomed, as ministers were urged to “accelerate” the creation of the agency.
Responding to the news, Scotland’s acting Energy Secretary Gillian Martin welcomed the announcement, adding: “We will now press the UK Government to make sure that this announcement brings real decision-making to Aberdeen and adds value to the great work already taking place in the energy transition.
“More widely, we are working closely with the UK Government as it establishes the GBE team and we would encourage them to accelerate the establishment of the new organisation so that investment in projects in Scotland can be taken forward without delay.”
Also speaking after the speech, GB Energy chair Juergen Maier CBE, said the headquarters will act as a “starting point” for the newly-formed firm.
“We will use this base to rapidly scale up this publicly owned, operationally independent company and start to engage with investors and communities and build supply chains across the UK,” he added.
Within minutes, the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce, which had been campaigning for the agency to come to the region, hailed the “fantastic news” which it said will “secure the north-east’s status as a global energy capital for many decades to come”.
Its chief executive Russell Borthwick added: “However, we do not need to kill off one industry to grow another – in fact, the opposite is true, as one cannot exist without the other.
“We therefore urge the UK Government to use next month’s Budget to restore confidence in the North Sea to protect the jobs, supply chain and energy production we need to ensure a just transition.”
Stuart Payne – the chief executive of the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) – said he was “absolutely delighted” with the news, adding: “The city was at the absolute heart of the UK’s energy story for the last 60 years, and can do the same for the next 60 – the energy transition will be accelerated and enabled by a world class workforce, a passion for tackling the hardest technical challenges, and a very warm welcome awaits our new colleagues.”
Sir Ian Wood, a well known oil and gas billionaire and the chair of Aberdeen’s Energy Transition Zone (ETZ), urged the sector to work with ministers to shape the agency.
And David Whitehouse, the chief executive of Offshore Energies UK, said it was important where the organisation was located, “but what really matters is what it does”, as he urged GB Energy to listen to “expert people across our sector, backing our supply chains and safeguarding the jobs of thousands of skilled workers across the UK”.
Ask John Rentoul anything about Labour Party conference
Tuesday 24 September 2024 17:00 , Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer’s keynote speech on Tuesday will be crucial, as it’s his first post-victory address, where he’ll aim to inspire after a rocky start.
Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves faced the tough task of selling fiscal discipline – a message that may not sit well with the party’s base and unions.
Ultimately, the conference will be judged on whether it serves as a successful milestone for Labour’s return to power or a missed opportunity to reset after a difficult start in government.
If you have a question on the Labour Party conference, submit it here and our chief political commentator John Rentoul will be on hand later to answer them.
Transport union welcomes Labour’s public railways promise
Tuesday 24 September 2024 16:30 , Salma Ouaguira
The Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association has welcomed Labour’s promise to put public ownership of railways “at the heart of his speech”.
General secretary Maryam Eslamdoust said: “Rightly the prime minister spoke of building a Britain that belongs to the people, a far cry from the long wasted years of Tory rule.
“This can only happen with rail and the wider transport network in public hands again and that is the only way to build strong local, regional and national economies.”
Watch: Protester interrupts Starmer’s Labour conference speech
Tuesday 24 September 2024 16:30 , Tara Cobham
Plans for cross-border NHS treatment branded ‘PR gimmick’
Tuesday 24 September 2024 16:28 , Tara Cobham
Plans to allow NHS patients to travel to England for treatment have been branded a “PR gimmick” in the Senedd.
Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens revealed a new partnership intended to exchange best practices to address the challenges facing the NHS in England and Wales at the Labour Party conference on Monday.
The move will allow patients to travel between the two countries to receive outpatient or elective treatment, in an effort to tackle record waiting lists in Wales.
But Andrew RT Davies, leader of the Welsh Conservatives, criticised Eluned Morgan, the First Minister of Wales, for not giving enough detail on how the plans will work in practice, asking what capacity may be created and what the costs would be.
Speaking during First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday, Mr Davies also criticised the Welsh Labour government for only taking up the scheme now, arguing that the former Tory government offered a similar policy in 2023.
But Eluned Morgan, the new First Minister of Wales, insisted that the former offer had not been “serious” and that the conversation with the UK Government had now started.
Mr RT Davies said: “I believe that it is a sensible and progressive way of addressing waiting times here in Wales, but I’d like to see the substance of it, otherwise people will just look at it as a PR gimmick that was launched at the Labour Party conference and this time in six months we’ll still have those chronic waiting times here in Wales.”
He added: “What I regret is that the First Minister and her party did not take up that offer in August 2023 and the sympathy that I have for the additional 50,000 people who have joined those waiting lists in Wales in the intervening period.
“Fifty thousand extra people are on a waiting list here in Wales because you declined to take that chance of the second offer scheme in August 2023.”
Both sides of industry largely welcome prime minister’s speech
Tuesday 24 September 2024 16:08 , Tara Cobham
Both sides of industry largely welcomed the prime minister’s speech, with union leaders saying that workers “desperately” needed change.
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “Keir Starmer showed today that he’s determined to deliver that change for communities across Britain and to make work pay for everyone. Unions stand ready to work with him and his government to urgently repair and rebuild this country.”
CBI chief executive Rain Newton-Smith said: “The prime minister is right to say that government is facing challenges too complex to resolve alone. The ‘shared struggle’ to put the country back on the path to prosperity serves as a rallying call for a partnership between business and government that harnesses the innovation, investment, and optimism of industry to deliver lasting change.”
Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “The Prime Minister rightly set out the importance of stabilising and growing the economy. Businesses stand ready to work hand in hand with Government to reach those goals. Firms also wanted to hear an upbeat plan for the future, so it was encouraging to hear the Prime Minister talk of light at the end of the tunnel.”
GMB general secretary Gary Smith said: “I genuinely believe Keir Starmer and his Government get working people and the need to bring back opportunities. He offered a positive vision of the future and a country we can be proud of.”
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The Government should forget the pursuit of free holidays, concert tickets and shiny new suits and focus on the needs of families and children. Nobody doubts the scale of challenge confronting the Government but what was lacking today was any sense of the scale of ambition needed to meet these challenges.”
TUC reacts to Keir Starmer’s speech
Tuesday 24 September 2024 16:00 , Salma Ouaguira
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “After 14 years of stagnation and decline under the Conservatives, workers and their families desperately need change.
“Keir Starmer showed today that he’s determined to deliver that change for communities across Britain and to make work pay for everyone.
“Unions stand ready to work with him and his Government to urgently repair and rebuild this country.
“We know ministers have inherited a toxic economic legacy. But as the PM set out that mustn’t limit our ambition as a nation.
“It is also vital those with the broadest shoulders pay their fair share towards building a better Britain.”
Tory leadership hopeful Jenrick brands PM’s speech ‘end of a term’
Tuesday 24 September 2024 15:50 , Salma Ouaguira
Former immigration secretary Robert Jenrick has compared the Sir Keir Starmer’s like the end of a term.
The Tory leadership hopeful also accused the prime minister of preparing a “dour plan for the UK”.
He said: “This was the speech of a prime minister at the end of his five-year term, not three months in. Sir Keir is already a busted flush – a Mr Grey, with a dour plan for the UK.
Behind all the rhetoric there was no substance. How can Starmer have no plan to grow the economy, reform the NHS or control and reduce immigration after 14 years? It appears he is too distracted with sleaze, infighting and chaos in Downing Street.”
Keir Starmer’s heckler says he spoke up for Gaza and Lebanon
Tuesday 24 September 2024 15:42 , Salma Ouaguira
Daniel Riley, 18, who heckled the prime minister in his speech at the Labour Party conference said he was moved to shout due Sir Keir Starmer’s stance on the Middle East.
He told reporters after being released by security: “Everyday we’re still sending British bombs and British bullets that are being used in Lebanon and in Gaza right now and the prime minister – he could stop that, he could stop that right now but he doesn’t.
“And he says that he wants things to stop but he won’t lift a finger to actually stop it.”
Asked if he had planned to disrupt the leader’s speech, Mr Riley said: “No, I was a delegate, I’m a Labour Party member, I hoped I’d be one for life but I suspect not now.”
Watch: Starmer sends blunt message to critics amid Labour gifts row
Tuesday 24 September 2024 15:40 , Salma Ouaguira
Lib Dems: Pensioners still disappointed Labour’s winter fuel allowance cuts
Tuesday 24 September 2024 15:34 , Salma Ouaguira
The Liberal Democrats have slammed the lack of a U-turn during Sir Keir Starmer’s speech over the winter fuel payment cuts.
Deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: “Our country will only see the light at the end of the tunnel if the new government invests in health and care.
“Only by fixing the access crisis to GPs and dentists, building new hospitals and fixing social care, can we truly kickstart our economy and save public services. This must be the top priority for the Prime Minister.
“Sadly there will be millions of pensioners left disappointed today at the lack of a u-turn on the upcoming winter fuel allowance cuts. There is still time for the government to change course on this concerning policy and we urge them to do so.”
Starmer delivers shorter conference speech than Sunak
Tuesday 24 September 2024 15:30 , Salma Ouaguira
Sir Keir Starmer’s party conference speech lasted 54 minutes, slightly shorter than the 56-minute speech he delivered at Labour’s 2023 conference.
Compared with recent party conference speeches by newly-elected prime ministers, Sir Keir spoke for a shorter time than Rishi Sunak (an hour and four minutes in 2023) and Theresa May (58 minutes in 2016), but for longer than Liz Truss in 2022 (35 minutes), Boris Johnson in 2019 (40 minutes) and David Cameron in 2010 (52 minutes).
Shop workers union: Starmer hit the right note today
Tuesday 24 September 2024 15:24 , Salma Ouaguira
We have more reaction from Sir Keir Starmer’s speech, this time from the shop workers union boss, who has praised the PM.
Paddy Lillis, general secretary of the shop workers union Usdaw said: “Keir Starmer hit the right note today, setting out a positive agenda of change for the government and nothing illustrates that more than the bold plan for a revolution in training.
“Something Usdaw has long campaigned for as we face ever increasing use of artificial intelligence, automation and new technology in our workplaces.”
PM accused of skirting around Brexit in his conference speech
Tuesday 24 September 2024 15:21 , Archie Mitchell
Responding to the prime minister’s speech at Labour conference Best for Britain claims Sir Keir Starmer dodged the Brexit topic.
Chief Executive Naomi Smith said: “The prime minister said change has begun but made no mention of the change Britain really needs – meaningful change to the Brexit deal which continues to stifle growth, drive up costs and deprive opportunities for businesses and young people.
“Keir Starmer can unlock Britain’s potential by working with our European partners to deliver beneficial regulatory alignment and a Youth Mobility Scheme.”
Watch: Starmer mistakenly calls for ‘return of the sausages’ in major Labour conference speech
Tuesday 24 September 2024 15:16 , Salma Ouaguira
You can watch Sir Keir Starmer’s embarrasing moment below:
Starmer mistakenly calls for ‘return of sausages’ in major Labour conference speech
Tories poke fun of Starmer’s ‘return of the sausages’ from Gaza during speech
Tuesday 24 September 2024 15:14 , Salma Ouaguira
With Sir Keir starmer’s speech now concluded, many are rushing to offer their rections.
The first ones to go are unsurprisingly the Conservatives, who have taken to social media to make fun of an embarrasing slip of the prime minister’s tongue.
ANALYSIS | Starmer has dipped into his family again to deliver his best speech
Tuesday 24 September 2024 15:11 , David Maddox
With Sir Keir Starmer’s speech now finished, we have some analysis from our political editor David Maddox who is at the Labour Party conference:
This ended up being a very personal speech by the prime minister as he attempted to sweep away the gloom and deliver a substantial vision for Britain’s future.
He has tried using his family – his father being a toolmaker – before but somehow the stories of returning to the cottage with his children where he holidayed as a child and the respect he wants his sister to receive for being a careworker landed much better this time.
The audience had struggled through his hairshirt section on needing to balance the books but noticeably warmed to him as he went into the last section.
Starmer has come over as caring and a man with a vision.
While this conference started very badly for him with in-fighting and questions on freebies it is finishing well before he jets to New York and the United Nations.
Starmer vows a ’great reforming government’
Tuesday 24 September 2024 15:07 , Salma Ouaguira
Ending his speech, Sir Keir Starmer has listed the priority areas he plans to refor, including the NHS, the energy system, the policing and justice systems, the education system, and the economy.
He told the conference his plas is to bring “the breathing space, the calm, the control to focus on the little things they love in life, not the anxiety and insecurity we have now”.
After being interrupted by a heckler, the PM said: “People said we couldn’t change the party – but we did.
“People said we couldn’t win across Britain – but we have. People say we can’t deliver national renewal – but we can, and we will.”
