Starmer speech – live: Labour leader recovers from glitter protest to vow ‘Britain can get its future back’

Keir Starmer’s conference speech has attracted some pretty positive reactions from the unions, who have an important relationship with the Labour party.

Paddy Lillis, general secretary of shop workers’ union Usdaw said: “After 13 years of Tory incompetence, stagnation and chaos, Keir Starmer has today set out how a Labour government will deliver security, growth and hope.

“He clearly demonstrated that – as our next prime minister – Keir will deliver the change our members so desperately need. Throughout his speech he put working people first, understanding their struggles with the cost-of-living crisis, suppressed pay and insecure work.

“He understands that we need a new deal for workers on employment rights, so that our country can thrive, and that workers receive the fruits of growth, through dignity in work, excellent public services and a real living wage.”

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said of the Labour conference keynote speech: “Keir Starmer outlined today a proper plan for repairing and rebuilding Britain, and he showed that he will stand up for working-class communities.

“The contrast with the Tories’ slash-and-burn approach couldn’t be greater. The New Deal for Working People will improve working lives for millions.

“The Green Prosperity Plan will deliver investment and good jobs up down the country.

“The choice for voters is clear. National renewal under Labour or continued decline under the Tories.”

Meanwhile Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said: “This was an inspiring speech from a leader who understands the chronic challenges facing the UK.”

She added: “This offered hope for a future where the government will serve in the interests of working people and their families.

“Hospitals, schools, police forces, universities, town halls and the workers who run them know public services will be in safe hands under a Labour government. With Keir as prime minister, Britain will get its future back.”

“,”author”:{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Yahoo News Uk”},”publisher”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Yahoo News”,”logo”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://s.yimg.com/rz/p/yahoo_news_en-GB_h_p_news_2.png”,”width”:310,”height”:50},”url”:”https://uk.news.yahoo.com/”}},{“@type”:”BlogPosting”,”headline”:”Starmer speech – live: Labour leader recovers from glitter protest to vow ‘Britain can get its future back’”,”datePublished”:”2023-10-10T14:27:00.000Z”,”articleBody”:””,”author”:{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Yahoo News Uk”},”publisher”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Yahoo News”,”logo”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://s.yimg.com/rz/p/yahoo_news_en-GB_h_p_news_2.png”,”width”:310,”height”:50},”url”:”https://uk.news.yahoo.com/”}},{“@type”:”BlogPosting”,”headline”:”Starmer speech – live: Labour leader recovers from glitter protest to vow ‘Britain can get its future back’”,”datePublished”:”2023-10-10T14:10:09.000Z”,”articleBody”:”nThe Labour leader stressed: ‘No party fights harder for our environment’ (PA)

Sir Keir Starmer said building a series of new towns would not mean “tearing up the green belt”.

He told delegates: “Labour is the party that protects our green spaces. No party fights harder for our environment.

“We created the national parks, created the green belt in the first place – I grew up in Surrey – but where there are clearly ridiculous uses of it: disused car parks, dreary wasteland.

“Not a green belt, a grey belt – sometimes within a city’s boundary – then this cannot be justified as a reason to hold our future back.“We will take this fight on. That’s a Britain built to last.”

As Labour tries to win back support in Scotland from the SNP, Keir Starmer has announced proposals for a new clean energy company which will be based north of the border.

He told today’s conference in Liverpool that GB Energy would be publicly owned and would be based in Scotland.

The prospect of investment and jobs this project would bring is likely to be an attempt to win over Scottish voters.

Starmer told the crowd that Britain must “speed ahead” its “our climate mission”. He added: “Clean British energy is cheaper than foreign fossil fuels. That means cheaper bills for every family in the country, but also a chance to make us more competitive across the board.

“Countries like America are using this gift to create manufacturing jobs the like of which we haven’t seen for decades, and they’re not the only ones.

“So when Rishi Sunak says row back on our climate mission, I say speed ahead. Speed ahead with investment, speed ahead with half a million jobs, speed ahead with great British energy.”

Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed proposals to build the next generation of new towns as he warned a failure to act will make home ownership a “luxury for the few, not the privilege of the many”.

He told the conference: “We used to call it the ‘dream of home ownership’, didn’t we? We used to say it glibly on stages like this. But look at Britain now – it has become a dream. It’s out of reach for millions.”

Looking back on the pebble-dashed semi he grew up in, Starmer said: “It gave us stability through the cost of living crises of the seventies, served as the springboard for the journey I’ve been on in my life, and I believe every family deserves the same.”

The Labour leader added: “Sometimes the old Labour ideas are right for new times. So where there are good jobs, where there is good infrastructure, where there is good land for affordable homes, then we will get shovels in the ground, cranes in the sky, and build the next generation of Labour new towns.”

Starmer added that a Labour government would build 1.5 million new homes over five years.

Changing rules on tax breaks for private schools could help pay for mental health staff in every school, Sir Keir Starmer said.

The Labour leader said: “People will say ‘don’t rock the boat, we’ve always done it like this, is this really necessary?’

“I’ve reformed a public service before, I know how it goes. But it’s our responsibility to do it, and across our public services the prize is huge.

“Because if we call time on wasteful police procurement then we can have a community policing guarantee. More police in your town, fighting anti-social behaviour, taking back our streets.

“If we ignore appeals for the status quo on private school tax breaks or outdated national curriculum, then we can have mental health staff in every school, more expert teachers in the classroom, more creativity, speaking skills, confidence.”

Sir Keir Starmer has said the NHS must not be “put on a pedestal” if the health service is to be saved.

Reflecting on a long period of decline in the health service, he said the Conservative party would “put the NHS in the ground” if it won the next election.

“That’s the fundamental principle and at the next election it’s on the line,” he told Labour’s conference in Liverpool.

“The Conservative Party that brought the NHS to its knees will put it in the ground. We have got to get it back on its feet.”

Starmer accepted that while people don’t like the term “reform”, it’s what the NHS needs.

“We must be the government that finally transforms our NHS,” he said.

“We can’t go on like this, with a sickness service. We need an NHS that prevents illness, keeps people healthy and out of hospital in the first place.”

“,”author”:{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Yahoo News Uk”},”publisher”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Yahoo News”,”logo”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://s.yimg.com/rz/p/yahoo_news_en-GB_h_p_news_2.png”,”width”:310,”height”:50},”url”:”https://uk.news.yahoo.com/”}},{“@type”:”BlogPosting”,”headline”:”Starmer speech – live: Labour leader recovers from glitter protest to vow ‘Britain can get its future back’”,”datePublished”:”2023-10-10T13:40:21.000Z”,”articleBody”:””,”author”:{“@type”:”Person”,”name”:”Yahoo News Uk”},”publisher”:{“@type”:”Organization”,”name”:”Yahoo News”,”logo”:{“@type”:”ImageObject”,”url”:”https://s.yimg.com/rz/p/yahoo_news_en-GB_h_p_news_2.png”,”width”:310,”height”:50},”url”:”https://uk.news.yahoo.com/”}}]} Read full article

The moment Starmer’s speech was interrupted by a protester.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s keynote conference speech has been disrupted by a protester.

As Starmer began to address the gathering in Liverpool the heckler began shouting “true democracy is citizen led” and threw glitter over his jacket before being swiftly removed.

Starmer, who dealt with the disruption calmly, went on to outline what he hopes will be a decisive pitch to voters in what could be his last conference speech before the next general election.

Starmer said:

he condemned the “senseless murder… in cold blood by the terrorists of Hamas”

he pledged a plan to heal the country’s “wounds” and get Britain’s “future back”

he would help public services by reforming the NHS and increasing police numbers

he would build a series of new towns across the UK that would not mean “tearing up the green belt”

he would tax private schools to pay for mental health treatment

he said a new Green company would be based in Scotland

Follow our live coverage below

Starmer continued his speech with glitter on his shoulders (PA)

The Labour leader said Britain “will get its future back” as he urged voters to give his party a chance to govern.

Finishing off is speech, Keir Starmer said: “Why Labour? Because we serve your interests, because we will grow every corner of our country, because we have a plan to take back our streets, switch on Great British energy, get the NHS back on its feet, tear down the barriers to opportunity and get Britain building again,” he said.

“A plan for a Britain built to last, a plan to heal the wounds, a plan to turn the page and say, in a cry of defiance, to all those who now write our country off, Britain must, Britain can, Britain will get its future back.”

Earlier Starmer had made a direct appeal to Tory voters becoming increasingly disillusioned with their usual party of choice.

Starmer said: “If you are a Conservative voter who despairs of this, if you look in horror at the descent of your party into the murky waters of populism and conspiracy, with no argument for economic change, if you feel our country needs a party that conserves, that fights for our Union, our environment, the rule of law, family life, the careful bond between this generation and the next, then let me tell you: Britain already has one.