Early evening summary
Starmer has unveiled plans to protect veterans, young care leavers and domestic abuse victims from homelessness. (See 3.54pm.)
Starmer's speech - verdict from the commentariat
And here are some more takes on Keir Starmer’s speech.
From the New Statesman’s George Eaton
That was Starmer’s most personal conference speech but with serious policy arguments at its heart: growth depends on the active state, workers must be properly rewarded, progressive tax rises needed to fund public services.
— George Eaton (@georgeeaton) September 24, 2024
That was Starmer’s most personal conference speech but with serious policy arguments at its heart: growth depends on the active state, workers must be properly rewarded, progressive tax rises needed to fund public services.
From Ailbhe Rea at Bloomberg
Overall, this was a plea for time. Starmer isn’t a man who sees much value in speeches like that — he’d far rather just get on with things and be judged on his record. But with his approval ratings now at the level Rishi Sunak’s were when he lost, there was an urgent need to reset things in the immediate term. Whether his speech was enough to do that is far from clear.
From the Sunday Times’ Tim Shipman
Starmer: very strong theoretically, a coherent argument well delivered. The “if you want this, you’ll have to put up with this” section was very good. Immigration section less persuasive. Still very thin on detail. But his team will be happy with that
— Tim Shipman (@ShippersUnbound) September 24, 2024
Starmer: very strong theoretically, a coherent argument well delivered. The “if you want this, you’ll have to put up with this” section was very good. Immigration section less persuasive. Still very thin on detail. But his team will be happy with that
From Rachel Cunliffe at the New Statesman
This was not a speech bursting with optimism. Starmer dismissed “false hope” and “the politics of easy answers”. He called for patience, telling the audience: “We will turn our collar up and face the storm.” The speech all but promised further pain in the upcoming Budget, more unpopularity for the new government – we will all soon become as sick at the phrase “tough choices” as we were at Starmer’s “toolmaker” refrain.
But Starmer was right about one thing. Those listening to the doom and gloom rhetoric Labour has leant into these past two months have indeed been responding: “What will we get to show for it?” This speech offered the beginnings of an answer. It wasn’t a magic trick. More the magician levelling with the audience that magic tricks – politics of easy answers, deceptively appealing populist solutions – won’t work this time. And inviting them to come with him to find something that can.
From Jack Kessler at the Standard
The real problem with the speech is that it had no centre. It touched on plenty of issues – energy, crime, foreign policy, migration and public services. But it was not obvious what hung it all together, other than the fact that the prime minister was now responsible for it. All the bases were covered, but few runs were scored, other than a reiteration of the short-term pain to come.
From Adam Bienkov from Byline Times
Keir Starmer's conference speech may have had some promising moments, but it has done little to lift a growing sense of unease and disappointment within the Labour party towards their new Prime Minister.https://t.co/VnsvfZck71
— Adam Bienkov (@AdamBienkov) September 24, 2024
Keir Starmer’s conference speech may have had some promising moments, but it has done little to lift a growing sense of unease and disappointment within the Labour party towards their new Prime Minister.
From Patrick O’Flynn (a former Ukip MEP) in the Spectator
Keir Starmer gave a formidable speech to the Labour conference today. It was easily good enough to inspire the party’s natural supporters to cut him some slack over the bumpy months ahead.
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