Sir Keir Starmer found his voice to deliver the most aggressive speech of his political career yet, calling out Nigel Farage as a “snake-oil merchant” talking down his own country.
Farage “doesn’t like Britain”, the Prime Minister suggested, as he called on the British people to “fight Reform” by “tackling all the problems they prey on”.
In his hour-long conference address, Starmer said concerns about immigration are legitimate, but that “there is a line” crossed by “thuggery” and “racism”.
“And it isn’t just Farage who crosses it,” he added. “There are also people who should know better, sowing fear and discord across our country. And then when we call it out, they pretend that we’re criticising reasonable concerns about immigration.”
In the packed-out hall in Liverpool, Labour delegates had been handed saltires, the St George’s flag and the red dragon of Wales to wave, as Starmer sought to reclaim patriotism from the right.
“This great party is proud of our flags. Yet if they’re painted alongside graffiti telling a Chinese takeaway owner to go home, that’s not pride. That’s racism,” he said.
Cndemning those who say people cannot be British based on the colour of their skin, he called it out as racism. “You are the enemy, and we will fight you,” he roared.
Labour’s grassroots were pleased to hear him make the case against Reform UK so unequivocally, but deploying racism as an argument immediately invited an attack from the right. Almost as soon as Starmer had finished, up popped Farage.
Starmer had “descended into the gutter,” the Reform leader said in a live address from his party’s HQ in London, claiming that the premier was inciting potential attacks against politicians like him from the hard left, and accusing the Cabinet of being “obsessive” about him.
Labour says the accusation of racism is justified because of who Reform would target with its draconian policy to deport some people who have indefinite leave to remain. These people, Labour aides argue, aren’t white European Union citizens or higher earners, who would be exempt under Reform plans.
But for Starmer it is also a high-risk strategy. That’s not only because on Monday, the Government also announced it would make it harder for people to apply for indefinite leave to remain. It’s also because Farage made it immediately clear he would muddy the waters by claiming Starmer had insulted “millions of people”.
In the hall in Liverpool, security heavies in black outfits patrolled the aisles. They weren’t risking more hecklers. Labour aides were spread around to encourage “spontaneous” standing ovations.
Starmer used his speech not just to fight off the threat from the right. Another section was dedicated to showing why Labour should ignore the siren calls to abandon fiscal discipline from people such as Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester Mayor.
Burnham had spent the week before, and the first part of conference, sniping at Starmer, imploring Chancellor Rachel Reeves to be “flexible” over borrowing, and criticising the PM’s plans to roll out digital ID. Amid Cabinet criticism and a dawning realisation he had overreached, he was forced into a humiliating climbdown, admitting by Monday evening that Starmer should remain in post.
At conference parties, Burnham was the butt of jokes, with Government aides competing to find the best put-down. “Andy used to be the future of everything once,” one Cabinet aide suggested. “A Ben Sherman T-shirt doesn’t make you a political hero,” another quipped.
During the conference, Starmer and Burnham did not meet. By Tuesday, No 10’s frosty attitude had refined into an aloof amusement that Burnham’s attacks had only served to bolster the Prime Minister. Schadenfreude had set in. “You have to take your laughs where you can,” a No 10 source told The i Paper.
But Burnham’s allies insisted it’s not over. He has simply made a tactical retreat, they said, with a view to the future when Starmer falters, perhaps after local English, Welsh and Scottish elections in May.
The Greater Manchester Mayor is understood not to have ruled out a further challenge should Labour MPs send up the Bat-Signal for him to return to Westminster at an unspecified future point.
He is said to be miffed that he was not credited properly by Starmer for pushing ministers to make sure the Hillsborough Law – which puts a duty of candour on officials at public inquiries – was over the line in time for conference in Liverpool.
Starmer has spent the week insisting his Government had rammed through the legislation and his speech was introduced by Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall.
The Burnham debacle confirmed Starmer is safe in position, for now at least. A Cabinet minister told The i Paper that Health Secretary Wes Streeting is the only current member of the Cabinet who could hope to become prime minister if a contest were held tomorrow.
“There is only one viable challenger to Keir and that’s Wes but he’s too smart to move until the time is right,” the Cabinet minister said.
In his conference speech, Starmer took a swipe at Burnham, accusing left-wing politicians of a “desire to avoid reality”, and making clear he would rather break Labour’s other electoral pledges than to give up on controlling debt.
“A Labour Party that cannot control spending is a Labour Party that cannot govern in our times,” he warned. And in a nod to the Budget, less than two months away, he added: “It doesn’t get easier from here.”
It wasn’t a perfect speech; the first half was very dull indeed. Some of the standing ovations seemed almost designed to cover up the tedium. But once the Prime Minister got to the core of his argument he was away. His section on racism certainly rattled Farage, who declared Starmer “wholly unfit to be prime minister”.
The Prime Minister found his voice, he swiped right and left, and as conference draws to a close, he lives to fight another day.
Hence then, the article about keir starmer has just bought himself some more time in no 10 was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Keir Starmer has just bought himself some more time in No 10 )
Also on site :
- My Daughter’s Friend Has a Crush on My Husband. It’s Making Us Both Deeply Uncomfortable.
- Maga’s biggest fear is coming true and Trump won’t survive it
- Manchester United vs Newcastle Prediction: Heavyweights Meet in Premier League’s Only Boxing Day Clash