Keir Starmer delivered his first Labour party conference speech as leader in Brighton, setting out his vision for winning the next election. The address, lasting 7,200 words, focused on his values and upbringing, while drawing a clear line between his leadership and that of his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn.
Starmer sought to reassure voters that Labour would present a credible manifesto, saying: “We will never under my leadership go into an election with a manifesto that is not a serious plan for government.” He acknowledged that the party’s 2019 manifesto was dismissed as a fantasy wishlist, and promised a more responsible approach.
The Labour leader criticised Prime Minister Boris Johnson, calling him a “trivial man” and a “trickster with nothing left to show”. He contrasted Johnson’s rule-breaking with his own experience as head of the Crown Prosecution Service, though he stopped short of calling Johnson a “bad man”, a description used by his deputy Angela Rayner.
On Brexit, Starmer accepted the UK had left the EU but blamed Johnson’s deal for negative consequences, saying: “A botched Brexit followed by Covid has left a big hole [in the economy].” He also addressed the fuel crisis, joking: “Level up? You can’t even fill up!”
Starmer committed to a “green new deal”, warning that delaying climate action would double costs. He also criticised the government’s handling of Covid-19, stating that 133,000 deaths were a failure of duty of care over 11 years. The speech was met with heckles and red cards from some in the hall, but Starmer defended focusing on internal party reforms as essential to winning the next election.
