Sir Keir Starmer made his first speech at the Labor Party Conference as prime minister today, taking to the stage at 2pm to outline his plans for domestic policy.
He touched on a range of topics, from migration to welfare, and the country’s promise of “national renewal”, ending with applause despite a brief interruption from a heckler.
“The politics of national renewal is a collective. They participate in a common struggle,” he said. “A project that says, for everyone, this will be difficult in the short term but, in the long term, this is the right thing for our country. And we all benefit from it.”
Echoing Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ message of hope, Sir Keir also stated that “if we take the tough long-term decisions now” there will be “light at the end of the tunnel”.
There were also brief touches on foreign policy, including recent statements about his government’s demand for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and a hostage return deal, as well as a two-state solution.
Speaking of welfare, the Prime Minister announced new legislation to crack down on welfare fraudsters, predicting that Labor expects to save £1.6 billion over the next five years. This goes hand in hand with safeguards to protect vulnerable claimants.
Sir Keir also promised to introduce the Hillsborough Act which would require public officials to have an honest duty, with the aim of transparency in government and giving greater powers to victims of major disasters, such as the families of the 97 Liverpool fans who died in the stadium in 1989. crush and 72 died in the Grenfell Tower fire.
What did Sir Keir Starmer announce at the Labor conference?
Migration was a hotly debated topic during the general election and Sir Keir also weighed in on the issue, including admitting that some people would have to submit asylum claims.
“If we want home ownership to be a credible aspiration for children, then every community has an obligation to contribute to that goal,” he said. “If we want to deal with illegal migration seriously, we can’t pretend that there is a magical process that allows you to return people here illegally without accepting that process will also grant asylum to some people.”
Sir Keir also stressed that his government was committed to reducing net migration and “the dependence of our economy”, saying that “concerns about immigration are legitimate”.
“I never thought that we should relax about some sectors that import labor when there are millions of young, ambitious and very talented people, who are eager to work and contribute to the community,” he said.
He maintained that immigration is not about race but rather control – and control is Labour’s argument.
“It’s about migration control. It’s always about control,” the PM said. “That’s what people have voted for over and over again. They’re not just being ignored after Brexit.
“The Tories are giving people the opposite, an immigration system that has been deliberately altered to reduce control.”
His government will aim to properly balance the skills system, according to the Prime Minister, with support on how to give businesses more flexibility to adapt to real training needs.
He wants British companies to “unlock the pride, the ambition” of young people to build a new future, through programs like the new foundation apprenticeship.
At the same time as acknowledging the concerns around immigration, Sir Keir then condemned the riots that took place across England and in Northern Ireland in the summer, triggered by the fatal stabbing of three young girls in Southport.
The PM said those concerned about immigration “don’t do it” because they know this country is a democracy and we are “debating differences”.
“We didn’t finish them off with vicious thugs,” he continued, met with a standing ovation. “Racism is evil.”
When will the changes be implemented?
Sir Keir did not attach a date for the majority of the policies, the specifics of which will be spelled out in the autumn budget and other announcements.
However, the overall message of the speech focused on the long term, stressing that the UK must remain strong in the interim, as it faces difficult decisions ahead in order to achieve the national renewal that has been its foundation. policy began to enter Downing Street.
The Prime Minister encouraged the audience to “take pride” in Labour’s victory, but warned them not to forget the party’s success came as they “changed the party”.
“Country first, party second is not a slogan,” he said. “That’s the foundation of this project.”
It was greeted with applause as he told the crowd that the work of the service “doesn’t stop”.
