Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer declared “the fire of change still burns in Britain” and “lives on in Labour” as he made a bold case for leading the country on a raft of promises designed to appeal to working class voters.
In a rousing speech at the party's conference in Liverpool, the man hoping to oust Rishi Sunak from No 10 Downing Street pledged to propel the economy on a path of high growth, build 1.5 million homes, including new towns, and a national health service "crowdfunded" by all for the benefit of all.
He promoted himself as the man who could "heal" the UK and despite being doused in glitter by a protester after he took to the stage, the former lawyer brushed off the incident "brilliantly" as one MP put it.
He suggested he was aiming for at least two terms in office by laying out a plan for 10 years.
The National was in the packed auditorium on Tuesday afternoon to witness what many believe could have been the Labour leader's final conference speech before the next general election, expected in 2024.
A Labour councillor from South London commented that there is “so much momentum” in the party these days compared to recent years.
Mr Starmer's success in addressing issues in the party since he succeeded Jeremy Corbyn in 2020 was clear.
One of the biggest rounds of applause came when Mr Starmer declared he had “ripped anti-Semitism out by the root”.
Members of the Labour Friends for Israel leapt to their feet to give the leader a standing ovation and show their strong support for his efforts to clear out Jew-hatred from the opposition party.
Mr Starmer’s unwavering support for Israel as it reels from massive terror attack by Hamas drew another round of clapping.
The reaction he received was a sign of the relief in the Labour Party that the days of the anti-Semitism scandal are in the distant past and the UK’s support for its ally Israel would not change if Labour came to power.
Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, said Mr Starmer handled the glitter incident “brilliantly”.
“It didn’t affect the mood in the room, if anything it enhanced it,” she told The National. “I personally would have went with the glitter from the start but he chose to take his jacket off.
“Keir is a professional. The atmosphere in here was electric. He nailed it.”
She singled out his “holistic approach” to health care and well-being, two causes close to her heart, and said his desire to give more power back to communities would resonate with voters.
“It’s that sense of hope and that sense of compassion which we just haven’t seen from the government,” Ms Leadbeater said. “There’s a real lack of understanding the lives of most people.
“Keir’s approach is in stark contrast to the Prime Minister who is far removed from the people.”
While she backed his agenda she acknowledge there remains “lot of work to do yet” before Labour can secure a victory in the next general election, expected in 2024.
Shower of glitter
A protester hurled glitter over Mr Starmer moments before he jumped on stage and took to the podium to deliver one of the most important speeches of his career so far.
The frustration and shock were clear to see on his face as he pushed off the protester, wiped glitter from his jacket and waited for security to arrive.
The protester was wearing a T-shirt that appears to tie him to a group called People Demand Democracy.
He shouted: “We demand a people’s vote. True politics should be citizen led.”
He was then dragged from the stage by security. The audience had been cheering as Mr Starmer arrived on stage before the mood turned to immediate concern. Attendees said the police should have been stationed near the stage instead of in the audience.
He was later driven away from the site and arrested by police.
“The man was detained by security at the event and handed over to the police who arrested him on suspicion of S39 assault, breach of the peace and causing public nuisance," Merseyside Police said.
After the disruption, Mr Starmer opened his speech at Labour Party conference by saying: “If he thinks that bothers me he doesn’t know me.
“Protest not power, that is why we changed our party conference.”
His speech was introduced by Marie Tidball, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Penistone and Stocksbridge.
Mr Starmer said Labour would “fix tomorrow’s challenges, today”.
The Labour leader added: “Today we turn the page, answer the question ‘Why Labour?’ with a plan for a Britain built to last.
“With higher growth, safer streets, cheap British power in your home, more opportunity in your community, the NHS off its knees. A Britain with its future back.
“It will require an entirely new approach to politics – Mission Government, new priorities, totally focused on the interests of working people, five national missions all fixed on a single-minded purpose to govern for the long-term.
“End the Tory disease of ‘sticking plaster politics’ with a simple Labour philosophy that together we fix tomorrow’s challenges, today.”
Mr Starmer emphasised the need for Labour to tackle the emerging "age of insecurity" and seize fresh opportunities.
He said: “People are looking to us because they want our wounds to heal, and we are the healers.
"People are looking to us because these challenges demand a contemporary state, and we are its forerunners. People are looking to us because they aspire to craft a renewed Britain, and we are its architects.”
Mr Starmer highlighted the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
He stressed that Labour must prioritise significant decisions so that "working people have the freedom to enjoy what they love".
Suggested reforms
Mr Starmer stressed that the Conservative Party threatens the NHS's future.
Citing footballer Hamza Semakula's need to crowdfund for surgery, the Labour leader said: “The whole point of our NHS is to be the crowdfunded solution for all of us... The Conservative Party... will put it in the ground. We have got to get it back on its feet.”
Committing to NHS reform, he said, “If all we do is place the NHS on a pedestal then... it will remain on life support... We must be the government that finally transforms our NHS... Mental health treatment when you need it: we’ll guarantee that... Dangerous waits for a cancer diagnosis: we will consign them to history.
“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".
Mr Starmer outlined his vision for Britain, emphasising the need to stop bonuses for those responsible for environmental harm and recognising the potential opportunities presented by addressing climate change.
He stressed that the government has the potential to be a positive force.
The Labour leader proposed that changes to tax benefits for private schools could help finance mental health professionals in every school.
The Labour leader invited Conservative voters to join his party’s cause, claiming that the Government’s mindset was now “don’t solve problems – exploit them”.
Cost-of-living crisis
Concluding his speech, Sir Keir Starmer said he has “felt the anxiety” of a cost-of-living crisis in the past and he would fight for those who need help now.
He said: “I grew up working class, I’ve been fighting all my life, and I won’t stop now.
“I’ve felt the anxiety of a cost-of-living crisis before and until your family can see the way out, I will fight for you. That’s my mission and we will do it.”
He added: “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.”
No magic wand
Carol Peterson and her friend Linden Phillips travelled from Huddersfield to watch Mr Starmer speak.
They agreed that the Labour leader’s address was “fantastic” and praised his “clear and precise” points.
“The UK is broken now because the Tories have spoiled it for 13 years,” Ms Phillips told The National. “Keir’s the guy. He has the strength and the determination to fix it.
“He’s not pretending it’s going to be easy, he’s not saying he will magically get rid of the problems on the first day if he gets into office. We are going to inherit a dreadful economy that’s been wrecked by the Tories and a world where public money is scarce. Keir needs to be realistic but he’s going to concentrate on the most important problems first.”
Ms Phillipson, a former teacher and schools inspector, said one of the pledges that really stood out for her was the Labour leader’s promise to put technical qualifications and apprenticeships on par with university education.
Ms Paterson said Mr Starmer “painted a picture of a world where we want to see our futures” during his lengthy speech.
