Labour Party conference latest: Keir Starmer is heckled by hard-Left as he distances party from Corbyn era

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Sir Keir Starmer's first conference speech as Labour leader was overshadowed by repeated heckling by activists over his refusal to support a £15 hourly minimum wage.

Several individuals disrupted his speech, including during an emotional tribute to his mother, although Sir Keir was generally prepared with retorts including questioning whether those on the hard life preferred "shouting slogans or changing lives".

Critics held up red cards and called out "shame", but he replied: "At this time on a Wednesday it's normally the Tories that are heckling me, it doesn't bother me then, and it doesn't bother me now."

Sir Keir was unabashed as he used his keynote speech to drive a wedge between his leadership and that of Jeremy Corbyn. Although his predecessor went unnamed, his impact on the party was noted.

"If [Tories] are so bad, what does it say about us? Because after all in 2019 we lost to them, and we lost badly," he said.

Sir Keir also championed Tony Blair - without naming him - referencing the achievements of the last Labour government and channelling the former prime minister's focus on crime and education.

This provoked one heckler to demand "where is Peter Mandelson?" - a question Sir Keir left unanswered.

​​Follow the latest updates below.


02:47 PM

Why would heckling Keir Starmer's speech be a good use of time?

What goes through the mind of someone who’s decided that heckling their own party leader during a conference speech is a good use of their time? asks Tom Harris.

Have they made the rational judgement that by shouting something unintelligible (and usually unintelligent) while their face is locked in a hateful grimace, they are likely to change a particular policy? Do they reckon that a well-aimed barb will cause the immediate downfall of said leader?

If these are indeed their motives, one can only wonder how on earth they managed to make it from their B&B to the conference centre on their own.

Labour conference this afternoon certainly seemed to have little time for the few Corbyn supporters who tried to put Keir Starmer off his game as he addressed them for the first time as leader.

Tom Harris: Starmer has given up on pointless aim of pleasing everyone


02:38 PM

Watch your language, Batley and Spen MP urges Labour colleagues

Leading Labour figures should "be careful about the language used" towards their political opponents, the recently-elected MP for Batley and Spen has said.

Kim Leadbeater, the Labour MP for the constituency - which played host to an ugly and polarised election campaign as Ms Leadbeater, the sister of murdered MP Jo Cox, received threats - was asked for her thoughts on Angela Rayner's description of the Tory Party as "scum".

"You can be passionate without being offensive and I think that's really important," she said.

"I'm a strong feisty northern woman, as is Angela, and I think that's a real strength, but I think we do have to be careful about the language we use across the political spectrum.

"I think you can still cut out bad behaviour without using the sort of language I wouldn't use."


02:31 PM

Angela Rayner: The public saw a 'Prime Minister-in-waiting' in Starmer

The public saw Keir Starmer as a "Prime Minister-in-waiting" during his party conference speech, his deputy leader has said.

Angela Rayner praised what she perceived as the spark and personality displayed in the hour-and-a-half keynote speech given in Brighton on Thursday lunchtime.

"The public saw Keir the man, what drives him, but also Keir the Prime Minister-in-waiting, what he did for this country and what he did for working people in this country," she told the BBC.

Angela Rayner, who opened the Labour conference on Saturday, watched Sir Keir Starmer close it out on Wednesday afternoon - Justin Tallis/AFP
Angela Rayner, who opened the Labour conference on Saturday, watched Sir Keir Starmer close it out on Wednesday afternoon - Justin Tallis/AFP

"Keir is a guy that you literally would trust your house, your kids and everything else. He says 'I'm not going to do all the glitzy glamour', he says 'I'm going to do the forensic analysis'."

Despite some suggestions in Westminster that Ms Rayner fancies herself as a future leader of the party, she insisted that she "absolutely wants" Starmer to enter Number 10 at the next election.


02:16 PM

A taste of Teesside in the Commons

Teesside Parmo will grace the House of Commons menu after a Tory MP lobbied parliamentary caterers to showcase "northern" cuisine, Max Stephens reports.

The regional delicacy consists of a breaded fillet of chicken which is deep fried and slathered in Bechamel sauce and grilled.

In a letter addressed to the head of catering at the House of Commons, Matt Vickers MP demanded they feature the popular takeaway “to show those in London and Westminster what the North has to offer”.

The letter added: "I want to see the North bestow some of its unique quality on our southern brothers and sisters. I believe it is important that the menu is representative of the various cultures and styles of the four composite parts of the Union.”

Full story: The calorific dish coming to the Commons


02:01 PM

Labour has house in order after 'gut punch' of Corbyn defeat

The Labour Party now has its house in order after the "gut punch" of the 2019 general election performance, a shadow minister has said.

Luke Pollard said in a social media video that Labour had used the last five days to announce bold policies around the environment and rural communities while also sorting out issues of party protocol.

"We're a party that wants to win. The last general election was rubbish, it was like a gut punch," he said.

"Coming back after that defeat takes time but I saw in Keir Starmer today a man who set out a vision, a plan and a critique of a Government that's failing."


01:51 PM

Analysis: Team Keir 'will be delighted' with today's speech

Starmer’s team will be delighted with how that went, writes our political editor Ben Riley-Smith.

He faced down Left heckles from the Left and kept his cool. He delivered a defence of New Labour to cheers and vowed to spend taxpayer cash wisely. There was big support generally from the floor.

So much so that a Labour spokesman gave this deadpan response when asked why Starmer's speech ran for so long: “I wasn’t expecting that amount of applause.”

Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria basking in the applause of activists - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria basking in the applause of activists - Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

01:38 PM

Starmer doesn't raise the red flag

A red flag was the fformer symbol of the Labour Party until it was dropped by Neil Kinnock - another fledgling reformist in Labour - in the late 1980s (see 9.16am).

And for decades the socialist song The Red Flag, in addition to Jerusalem, endured for decades at Labour conferences. Leaders from Tony Blair to Ed Miliband - and of course Jeremy Corbyn - would be front and centre of an end-of-conference singalong.

Before: Then-leader Jeremy Corbyn led activists in a rousing rendition of 'The Red Flag' after his conference speech in 2018 - Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
Before: Then-leader Jeremy Corbyn led activists in a rousing rendition of 'The Red Flag' after his conference speech in 2018 - Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire

However Starmer once again signalled a break with tradition by disappearing from the stage and leaving the performances to two soloists. That said, members of the Shadow Cabinet including Angela Rayner and Ed Miliband were pictured as they flexed their vocal cords.

After: Ed Miliband was once again singing the Red Flag on Wednesday, but there was no sign of Starmer - Eddie Mulholland
After: Ed Miliband was once again singing the Red Flag on Wednesday, but there was no sign of Starmer - Eddie Mulholland

Indeed, it mostly seemed to be Left-wing party activists who stuck around to denounce "cowards and traitors" who oppose socialism.


01:24 PM

Support pours in from Starmer's Shadow Cabinet

Sir Keir's closing address to the party faithful in Brighton has been hailed by his colleagues as an "outstanding, outstanding speech".

The praise came from his shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, while David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, termed it "barnstorming and inspirational".

The 89-minute address - double the length of Jeremy Corbyn's speech at the last in-person Labour conference in 2019 - zoned in on the themes of "work, equality, care, security", which form part of the "toolbox" Starmer would use in a prospective Labour government.

"These are the tools Labour will use in government to build a stronger future together," Mr Lammy wrote. Earlier on Thursday he stressed the need for members and MPs alike to move on from years in the wilderness, claiming Jeremy Corbyn's leadership constituted "the past" for the party.


01:13 PM

'Big on pledges but short on policies'

Sir Keir's team may be pleasantly surprised by a show of support, albeit one with heavy caveats, from an unlikely source - the Taxpayers' Alliance.

The pressure group, which supports lower taxes for Britons, managed to find some common ground with Sir Keir in its reaction to his remarks today.

Sir Keir Starmer made clear that he does not want small businesses to be hammered by high levels of tax - Hollie Adams/Bloomberg
Sir Keir Starmer made clear that he does not want small businesses to be hammered by high levels of tax - Hollie Adams/Bloomberg

“The Labour leader is right that taxpayers are concerned about the cost of living, and they will be pleased with his principle that working people and small firms shouldn’t be hammered by high taxes," said John O'Connell, the Taxpayers' Alliance chief executive.

“But politicians of all parties need to explain exactly how they plan to cut Britain’s record tax burden. Starmer's speech was big on pledges but short on policies.”


01:07 PM

Labour's Left-wing MPs torn on Starmer speech

It's safe to say that the reforms and vision set out by Sir Keir have divided his Parliamentary party, as was evident in the week as he ripped up the rulebook on internal elections.

Dawn Butler Brent, the MP for Brent Central and a member of the Socialist Campaign Group of backbenchers, said there were "some good bits in Keir Starmer's speech" and said "the choice is clear" between his offering and that of the Conservative Government.

However Jon Trickett, another hard-Left MP, rebuked Starmer for his implicit criticisms of Labour's previous policies.

"I sat through the whole meeting that agreed our 2019 manifesto, just metres from Sir Keir Starmer," Mr Trickett wrote.

"Every single policy was agreed unanimously. Just to spell it out, including by Sir Keir. I recall not a single peep of dissent from that direction."


12:51 PM

Starmer's speech 'almost empty of any genuine proposals'

Several hecklers were holding up red cards at the end of Sir Keir Starmer's speech - among them, John Wilkinson, 66, a retired charity worker and Labour member of 40 years from Nottinghamshire.

He said: "The red card is an opportunity to show that a speech that was very good and very detailed on what is wrong, sadly was almost empty of any genuine proposals.

"I'm struggling to get excited about the plan to have a spinning jenny in every parlour. It was good to reiterate what former Labour governments have done but it came to a shuddering full stop.

"There was nothing there to get me excited and if you wear the wrong T-shirt or say the wrong thing you get sent back to the gulags."


12:47 PM

Not much in Keir Starmer's speech for our members, says Unite boss

The first reviews are coming in for Sir Keir Starmer's performance - and it seems Unite, the union, is not impressed.

Rob MacGregor, Unite’s national political lead, said: "If you're a Unite member worried about the cost of living crisis, empty petrol pumps, abhorrent ‘fire and rehire’ in our workplaces and the end of furlough just hours away, there wasn't much for you in this speech.

"We needed to hear a Labour leader who is as angry as we are about the harm being done to our workers, and as determined as Unite to stand up against abusive employers.

"We’re clearly not there yet."


12:35 PM

Have your say: Can Keir Starmer shake off Labour's Corbyn past

Sir Keir Starmer has delivered his keynote speech - but was it any good?

He navigated several heckles - but has he done enough to shake off Labour's Corbyn past?

Have your say in the poll below.


12:33 PM

Sir Keir Starmer vows to focus on winning

Sir Keir Starmer has vowed to always have his eye on "the object" of winning.

He tells delegates that while he has enjoyed his first full conference, he doesn't want to "go through the same routine every year", but wants to be speaking from a position of government.

"This is a big moment, a time of rapid change. The first pandemic in a century, the aftermath of Brexit to sort out, the urgent claim of the climate," he adds.

"This is a big moment that demands leadership."


12:30 PM

'If Tories are so bad, what does that say about Labour?' asks Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer has told Labour delegates to do some soul-searching, noting that the "inadequacy" of the Government "presses the question back on us".

He adds: "If they are so bad, what does it say about us? Because after all in 2019 we lost to them, and we lost badly. I know that hurts each and every one of you."

He pauses as people applause and shout "yes", before telling them: "We can win the next election."

Sir Keir says: "This Government can’t keep the fuel flowing, it can’t keep the shelves stocked and you’ve seen what happens when Boris Johnson wants more money - he goes straight for the wallets of working people."

He urges delegates to "imagine waking up the morning after the next election", having won, "proud in the knowledge that you were part of it".


12:26 PM

Sir Keir Starmer tells conference hall 'we are patriots'

Sir Keir Starmer has attacked "the Tories’ pathetic attempts to divide us in a culture war", as he praises the UK's diversity.

"I couldn’t believe it when Rashford and the England team took the knee to highlight and condemn the racism they have had to endure, the Home Secretary encouraged people to boo," he adds.

"Well, here in this conference hall we are patriots," he adds.

"When we discuss the fine young men and women who represent all our nations we don’t boo. We get to our feet and cheer."


12:22 PM

'SNP and Tories walk in lock step', claims Keir Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer gets a lengthy applause after listing achievements from the last time Labour was in power - reinforcing how comfortable he is with invoking Tony Blair.

"You want levelling up? That’s levelling up," he tells delegates.

He then turns to the fracturing of the union, which is being put in "peril" by a "cavalier government".

He claims: "The SNP and the Tories walk in lock step. They both exploit the constitutional divide for their own ends."


12:18 PM

Labour would introduce 'net zero' test for all government actions, says Starmer

Labour would introduce a Clean Air Act and introduce a “net zero” test for "everything we do in government," Sir Keir Starmer has said.

This would ensure that "the prosperity we enjoy does not come at the cost of the climate," he adds.

Sir Keir highlights Rachel Reeves' speech from earlier this week, in which she set out her ambition to become Britain's first green chancellor, committing to spending £28 billion on green transition for every year of this decade.

"Like those pioneers in flight and like those young engineers working on the next generation plane, we have it within our grasp to make a historic difference," he says. "We have it within our grasp to be the change we need in the world. "


12:14 PM

Sir Keir Starmer: UK must invest in science to tackle climate change

The UK should fund science seriously so the country can "make a historic contribution" to climate change, says Sir Keir Starmer.

"Public funding was an important component of so many inventions - the personal computer, the internet, the iPhone," he explains.

Labour would include a climate investment pledge in its green new deal, he says - too lengthy applause (although it was a policy that was originally brought forward under Jeremy Corbyn).

This pledge will fund things like upgrades to make every new home zero carbon, creating "thousands of jobs in the process".


12:10 PM

Labour can run a strong economy, claims Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer claims Labour will make "no promises we can’t keep or commitments we can’t pay for", as he looks to set out his stall for economic competence.

"Too often in the history of this party our dream of the good society falls foul of the belief that we will not run a strong economy," he tells Brighton.

"But you don’t get one without the other and under my leadership we are committed to both," he adds. "I can promise you now Labour will be back in business."


12:08 PM

Labour will inherit 'appalling' economy from Tories, says Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer then turns to the economy, saying what a Labour government would inherit from the Tories "will be appalling".

He adds: "A botched Brexit followed by Covid has left a big hole. The Government is learning that it is not enough to get Brexit done - you need a plan to make Brexit work."

He claims there is "a way forward" if investment is done properly and technology deployed "cleverly".

"But the public finances we will inherit will need serious repair work," he warns.


12:07 PM

Starmer: Businesses should be incentivised for long-term thinking

Sir Keir Starmer pledges to shake up the way businesses are incentivised, to encourage longer-term thinking.

He tells Brighton he has "lost count of how many business leaders have told me that they wish their time horizon could be longer".

Sir Keir claims that a policy to change the priority duty of directors to make the long-term success of the company the main priority comes with "the blessing of British business" because "a focus on the long-term will allow for better investments".


12:03 PM

Sir Keir Starmer: Britain can lead technical innovation again

The reasons that Britain was the home of the Industrial Revolution was because "Britain led the world in the technology of the day", Sir Keir Starmer says.

"The flying shuttle, the spinning jenny, the power loom - these inventions were once the wave of the future."

He claims that under Labour "we can do it again" but the current Government has no strategy and "we are falling further behind".

Sir Keir adds: "A scientific revolution is happening around us but if we don’t have a government ready to remake the nation the opportunity will pass us by."

He argues that "too many people are shut out of economic reward", saying that the assumption that children would enjoy more than their parents has been "lost".


11:59 AM

Sir Keir Starmer mocks Boris Johnson over Latin plans

Sir Keir Starmer mocks Boris Johnson for his "small Tory idea" to deal with the challenges facing the country's education system.

"They want to reintroduce Latin in state schools," he says. "So let me put this crisis in the only language that Boris Johnson will understand.

"Carpe Diem - seize the day."


11:57 AM

Sir Keir Starmer vows to boost education and skills

Sir Keir Starmer vows that "under Labour education will recover", but says it must be directed "towards skills, towards work".

He says it is "stupid to allow theatre, drama and music to collapse in state schools" because this helps children learn how to communicate and work in teams.

"We want every child to get the chance to play competitive sport and play an instrument," he adds.

"When I was at school, I had music lessons with Fat Boy Slim," he says laughing.

There is polite laughter as he adds; "I can’t promise that for everyone - not even in Brighton."

Young people need to be tech-literate he adds, saying Labour would add "digital" to the "three pillars of education" - the Three Rs.


11:53 AM

Starmer attacks Tories on education

Sir Keir Starmer elicits another laugh when he says "education is so important I am tempted to say it three times" - an allusion to Tony Blair's big policy pledge.

He attacks the Conservatives' track record during the pandemic, and raises Sir Kevan Collins, the recovery tzar, whose plan was rejected.

"He told them what to do but they said no," says Sir Keir. "When he saw the Government’s plans, which he described as “feeble”, Collins had no option but to resign.

"If you can’t level up our children. You’re not serious about levelling up at all."


11:48 AM

Sir Keir Starmer: NHS must be reformed for future

Sir Keir Starmer says the "great scandal" of the pandemic was what happened in care homes, saying that the Government's "unfair tax hike that doesn’t fix social care and doesn’t clear the NHS backlog, is not a plan".

He adds: "We know that people will still be forced to sell their homes to pay for care. Working people will have to pay more. But there is still no plan."

The Labour leader says there is "no doubt that the NHS needs more money", and vows to support the institution "properly", but says more must be done than "chasing extra demand with more money" or "re-shuffling the furniture in yet another pointless re-organisation".

He explains: "We have to understand the big moment the NHS faces."

Labour would shift the priority "from emergency care, towards prevention" so that problems can be caught early.

"And I don’t just mean physical illness, either," he adds. "With every pound spent on your behalf we would expect the Treasury to weigh not just its effect on national income but also, its effect on well-being."


11:45 AM

Starmer: UK's Covid death toll caused by Government failure over 11 years

Sir Keir Starmer then turns to Covid, and the health and social care problems it has exacerbated.

Highlighting the UK's death toll - "every one of them somebody’s mum, dad, brother, sister, friend" - he says it was a situation that was "worse than it needed to be".

The Labour leader adds: "This wasn’t just a government failure over 18 months. It was a failure of the Government’s duty of care over 11 years.
"There are cracks in British society and Covid seeped into them. Lower earners were at greater risk. So were black and ethnic minority communities. Covid forensically found those who already had health problems and it has left in its wake a significant backlog."


11:41 AM

Starmer: Boris Johnson is not a bad man, he is a trivial man

Sir Keir Starmer then contrasts his various serious jobs, with the different roles Boris Johnson has had in the past as he tries to send the Prime Minister up as clownish.

"Its easy to comfort yourself that your opponents are bad people," the Labour leader says. "I don’t think Boris Johnson is a bad man. I think he is a trivial man.

"I think he’s a showman with nothing left to show. I think he’s a trickster who has performed his one trick."

He had a plan to get Brexit done but "his plan ran out -he has no plan", says Sir Keir.

He ignores a heckle after a man shouts out "where is Peter Mandelson".


11:38 AM

Sir Keir Starmer: I am here to clean up politics

Sir Keir Starmer says he will "put this government on notice" that he is here to clean up politics.

He recalls how he prosecuted MPs who had broken the law in the expenses scandal, adding: "Politics has to be clean; wrongdoing has to be punished.

"There are times in this Parliament when I feel as if I have my old job back."


11:37 AM

Boris Johnson's assumption the rules don't apply 'offends everything I stand for', says Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer segues from violent crime to political wrongdoing.

He tells delegates: "I try to remain calm in the bear pit of Parliamentary politics. I am not a career politician. I came to politics late in life and I don’t much like point-scoring."

He laughs amid further heckling, but picks back up, saying: "The one thing about Boris Johnson that offends everything I stand for is his assumption that the rules don’t apply to him."

He says the Prime Minister "turned a blind eye" to Dominic Cummings' and Matt Hancock's rule breaches.

"When I got pinged, I isolated. When Boris Johnson got pinged, he tried to ignore it. That’s not how I do business," he added.


11:33 AM

Humbled: Starmer vows to tackle crime and not 'walk around the problem'

Sir Keir Starmer tells the conference about a case he took while working at the CPS, involving the murder of a young woman.

Her parents have become good friends and are here today, he says.

"I honestly don’t know how I would cope if anything happened to one of my children. But I do know I am humbled by John, by Penny and by Doreen," he adds. "And that’s why, under my leadership, the fight against crime will always be a Labour issue.

"Labour will strengthen legal protections for victims of crime. We won’t walk around the problem. We’ll fix it."


11:30 AM

Analysis: Hard left heckles could work in Starmer's favour

Ben Riley-Smith, Political Editor, has this from the conference floor.

The heckles could actually work in Sir Keir Starmer’s favour.

This whole speech is designed by his team as a way to show that he has faced down the hard Left within his party and changed it to become electable again.

Right now we have a live example, being broadcast across the nation, of exactly that - Sir Keir vocally pushing back on left-wing critics inside his own party.

He has already deployed two (presumably pre-prepared) lines - one about the Tories normally heckling him at PMQs, the other: “Shouting slogans or changing lives.”

That last comment is the thread that runs through this conference speech - that under Sir Keir, Labour is about winning back power, not adopting comfortable policy positions.


11:26 AM

Sir Keir Starmer is exorcising the left from Labour

Sir Keir Starmer is in full exorcism mode, says Christopher Hope.


11:23 AM

Hecklers disrupt Sir Keir Starmer's speech

Sir Keir Starmer has received another massive applause as he tells hecklers off.

"Shouting slogans or changing lives, conference," he says.

Some of the individuals have been led out but many are continuing to disrupt his speech.

He adds: "We can chant all day."

Applause erupts - and chanting of "changing lives" can also be heard. "Throw them out!" other supporters shout.


11:22 AM

Emotional moment as Sir Keir Starmer recalls his mother's illness

Sir Keir Starmer says his mum was a long-term patient of the NHS, having been diagnosed with a rare form of arthritis which "took a heavy toll".

The NHS was "her lifeline", he adds. Sometimes she was so ill she had to go into hospital, meaning he had to often go into intensive care.

His voice wavers as he recalls a time when nurses were working and thinking how to "keep her alive".

He tells delegates how when he thanked them, they said they were just doing their job - "but that's not a job, it's a calling", he says.

"Just as we stood on our doorsteps and applauded, let this conference ring out its approval for NHS staff - truly the very best of us," he says.


11:18 AM

Sir Keir Starmer: My dad was a toolmaker - although in a way, so was Boris Johnson's

Sir Keir Starmer makes an eyebrow-raising joke.

"My dad was a toolmaker - although in a way, so was Boris Johnson's," he says.

Sir Keir Starmer has made a few jokes as he looks to reconnect with Labour members - Getty
Sir Keir Starmer has made a few jokes as he looks to reconnect with Labour members - Getty

The leader then talks about his father's work ethic and how it has been channelled through to him - saying that is why he is proud to lead a party whose name is labour.

"Don't forget it - Labour, the party of working people."


11:15 AM

Starmer hits out at hecklers

In response to some calls from attendees, Sir Keir Starmer says it is usually the Tories heckling him at this stage on a Wednesday.

"It doesn't bother me then and it doesn't bother me now," he adds - to applause.

After that dies down, the Labour leader returns to his speech, setting his vision of "a future... in which Britain is once again a confident actor in the world".


11:12 AM

Starmer: Labour has got its house in order

Sir Keir Starmer has told delegates he will "never go into an election with a manifesto that is not a serious plan for government" - receiving a lengthy applause.

He says it will "not take another election defeat" for Labour to become a party that can be trusted.

That is why he has wanted to "get our own house in order this week - and we have done that".


11:10 AM

Sir Keir Starmer tells Boris Johnson to 'get a grip'

Sir Keir Starmer quotes Boris Johnson's comments from the climate-focused UNGA summit last week, in which the Prime Minister bemoaned people who wait for others to clean up the mess.

Sir Keir says Mr Johnson should either "get a grip" and clean up his mess "or get out of the way and let us do it".

The Labour leader then thanks members for having "saved this party from obliteration - and we will never forget it".

But his job is "not just to say thank you to the voters who stayed with us", but to persuade those who rejected Labour.


11:08 AM

Level up? You can't even fill up: Starmer goes in on petrol crisis

Sir Keir Starmer says it has not been an easy conference, with Sunday "particularly nerve-wracking" - then makes a joke about the football results.

He then goes in on the petrol crisis, saying: "Level up? You can't even fill up."

The Government blames other people "then comes up with a half-baked solution", he adds.

Ministers are putting up taxes while "shamefully" slashing Universal Credit just as the cost of bills is rising.


11:06 AM

Right Here, Right Now: Starmer sets out his stall

There has been plenty of debate about what song Sir Keir Starmer will walk on stage to - and he has chosen Right Here, Right Now by Fatboy Slim.

He tells them he has waited a long time to address conference, thanking his "brilliant shadow cabinet for everything they have done in the last 18 months".

He adds "welcome home" to Louise Ellman, the former MP, who receives a standing ovation.


11:01 AM

Keir Starmer has scripted retort ready for walk-out

Keir Starmer's team is braced for a staged walk-out, and has prepped a retort, The Telegraph understands.

Christopher Hope, our chief political correspondent, says the Labour leader will tell the protesters: "That's right, you go for the exits - I am going to the gates of 10 Downing Street."


10:56 AM

Keir Starmer should 'stand by his principles', says former Labour MP

Laura Pidcock, the former Labour MP, has argued that Sir Keir Starmer should "stand by your principle", after he has moved away from some previous policies.

The Corbynite former politician said the public were "overwhelmingly" behind nationalisation of industries.

She told Sky News the Labour leader has been "rolling back on the £15 an hour [minimum wage], there has been a reluctance to talk about... utility companies being in public ownership".

Voters want leaders who "stand by your principle", she added.


10:44 AM

'Stakes are high' for Sir Keir Starmer's speech

Sir Keir Starmer could be hoist by his own petard if his conference speech bombs today.

The Labour leader has repeatedly blamed the pandemic for his failure to connect with members and the wider public - but now that theory will be put to the test.

As well as policies, he will need to deliver a show of dynamic personality to really cut through. And there are questions as to whether he can meet those expectations, as the Telegraph's Lucy Fisher points out.


10:37 AM

Brighton's conference hall is filling up ahead of Starmer's speech....


10:33 AM

Jersey Government rejects 75 French fishing boat applications

The Government of Jersey has said it has turned down licence applications by 75 French boats to fish in its territorial waters.

Of the 170 boats which applied, 64 were being granted licences, with a further 31 receiving temporary licences. The rest have been given 30 days' notice after which they will no longer be allowed to access to Jersey waters.

The announcement came after the French government reacted angrily to a decision by the UK to grant just 12 out of 47 applications by French small boats to operate in its waters.

Jersey external relations minister Ian Gorst said the island's government had taken "a pragmatic, reasonable and evidence-based approach" to the issue.

"We will continue to have an open door to further data and evidence of fishing activity, including for vessels which have already been considered, and we look forward to working collaboratively to resolve the remaining complex issues," he said.


10:27 AM

Labour must do more than just criticise Government, says Dame Margaret Beckett

Dame Margaret Beckett stood her ground when heckled - PA

Dame Margaret Beckett has urged party members not to focus on the arguments of the past - before paying tribute to ex-leader Neil Kinnock, who stepped down 29 years ago.

The former minister, who chairs Labour's ruling National Executive Committee, said Mr Kinnock "took one of the most crucial steps" after the 1987 election defeat by shifting away the party's approach from simply criticising the Government.

She added: "Neil said we've got to stop doing that, deal with the day-to-day issues of course, criticise the Government when they get it wrong, of course, but we've got to think about the fact that the people who win the next election won't be governing in the late 80s, they'll be governing in the 90s and beyond."

Dame Margaret was heckled by one delegate but she added: "What difference can a government make and what difference can a Labour government make?

"If the most important question on your mind, comrade, is not the difference a Labour government can make, I don't know why you're here today."


10:15 AM

Soldiers will begin driving tankers in the next couple of days, says minister

Britons have been warned to expect to see soldiers on the streets in "the next couple of days", as the Government moves to stabilise supplies of petrol.

Kwasi Kwarteng, the Business Secretary, told ITV the Army would be "on the ground" in a few days - despite also suggesting that the situation was improving and people were buying fuel "responsibly".

People would "see some soldiers driving the tanker fleet", he added.


10:10 AM

Keir Starmer to set out vision for 'brighter, more prosperous Britain'

Will he succeed in his bid to change the party - and make it a force to be reckoned with?

Have your say in the poll at 10:46am.


09:59 AM

Labour must learn to build 'winning voter coalition', conference told

Shabana Mahmood, Labour's National Campaign Coordinator, told delegates they must learn to compromise - Reuters

Labour must "understand what a winning voter coalition looks like" if the party is to become a future government, the national campaign coordinator has said.

Shabana Mahmood, who was appointed after Labour lost a key seat in Hartlepool earlier this year, told delegates the party must "do our politics differently".

She added: "We need to move away from what has become our default political setting - that says to secure the support of this group of people, we must throw that group under the bus.

"This intolerance of diversity of opinion risks paralysing our party and our politics. We need instead to build bridges between these groups. And that's what my politics is all about - more bridges, fewer buses."

To win Labour must be "honest about the compromises it will take to stitch back together the very fabric of our fractured nation", she added.

"We need our Party to stop constantly facing inwards, and instead to face our country."


09:46 AM

Have your say: Can Keir Starmer shake off Labour's Corbyn past?

Sir Keir Starmer will be looking to set a new tone for Labour when he addresses the party conference today.

The leader has secured some narrow victories this week in his bid to draw a line under the party's recent Corbynite past - but it's not been without challenges in the form of a shadow cabinet resignation, a union cutting its ties and plenty of sniping from the left.

As David Lammy admitted this morning, it's been "bumpy" to say the least.

Yesterday Sir Keir said winning was more important than party unity - but is he the man to return Labour to electoral success? Have your say in the poll below.


09:27 AM

Don't mention the war: Corbyn supporters told not to use his name when heckling Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer's bid to win the next election might go down well with centrist voters who were put off by the former leader - but as we have seen repeatedly this conference, he is having a tough time persuading the left of the party.

And it seems the Labour leader can expect some coordinated heckling during his speech today - just don't mention Corbyn.


09:24 AM

Starmer will not make the same mistakes as Corbyn, says Labour frontbencher

Sir Keir Starmer will not make the same "mistakes" as Jeremy Corbyn when it comes to the next general election, a Labour frontbencher has claimed.

It is widely expected that the Labour leader will make a case for the party as being fiscally responsible during today's speech in Brighton.

Ahead of that David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, said: "Clearly it was the case at the last general election, we were coming up with policies like free broadband, policies on pensions for women, a four-day week, and the public were saying 'how much is this going to cost'?

"It was coming at the last minute, they felt confused and they didn't feel able to trust us because of some of the issues that were dominating the party," he added. "Keir is not going to make that mistake, things have to be costed."


09:03 AM

Police make further arrests after Insulate Britain return to M25

Insulate Britain blocking a roundabout at Junction 3 of the M25 - PA

Eleven protesters have been arrested at junction 3 of the M25, Kent Police said.

The force said: "The incident on the Swanley Interchange roundabout began at around 7.30am on Wednesday 29 September 2021, with those in attendance having glued their hands to the road surface.

"Officers attended and within an hour had arrested those present on suspicion of obstructing the highway, conspiracy to commit public nuisance and criminal damage.

"The roundabout remained closed until around 8.50am to enable National Highways to make the road surface safe."


08:48 AM

Labour frontbencher hits out at BBC for focusing on 'identity issues'

A Labour frontbencher hit out at the BBC for focusing on "identity issues" as the party's row over trans rights continued.

Shadow justice secretary David Lammy was challenged after he told the party conference "there are some dinosaurs on the right" who want to “hoard rights”.

But Rosie Duffield, the Labour MP who has received abuse after being labelled a "transphobe", told a fringe event: "It's ridiculous and nothing about me is a dinosaur. I'm angry at colleagues chucking me on the railway tracks."

Challenged about the row, Mr Lammy said: "You could be asking about climate change, you could be asking about mental health, you could be asking about education, you could be asking about health. You deliberately are asking me about an issue that you know does not come up on the doorstep."

He added: "You, the BBC, are choosing to land on this subject - that most British people aren't talking about in a fuel crisis - and spend minutes on this because it keeps Labour talking about identity issues and not about the substantive policies that Keir will set out."


08:32 AM

Labour drops 'ideological mission' to nationalise industries

Labour's future decisions on nationalising industries would be made on a "best value" basis rather than as an "ideological mission", David Lammy has said.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has ruled out state control of the big energy firms - prompting criticism from several on the left of the party.

But Mr Lammy told the BBC: "A party that is set on an ideological mission is usually rejected by the British people. So, do we have a belief in common ownership? Yes, we do.

"But you have got to look at the best value case as it sits at the time. We are some way off the next general election.

"There may well be a case for nationalisation of the rail but it might be different in a different sector or an industry.

"So we can't just say - in the way that you might do if you were the politburo - we are going to nationalise everything, that doesn't make sense. You have got to look case by case, sector by sector."


08:16 AM

The ghost of Corbyn still haunts Keir Starmer

Time after time, conference season delivers a visual metaphor, writes Madeline Grant. At the 1986 Labour Party Conference, desperate to rebrand the party, Neil Kinnock had dropped the red flag and introduced the rose used today.

Unintended symbols can carry even more weight; who could forget poor Theresa May in Manchester 2017, floundering in a hung parliament, as the conference hall literally crumbled around her?

Sir Keir Starmer still remains haunted by the legacy of the Corbyn leadership - WPA Pool/Getty Images
Sir Keir Starmer still remains haunted by the legacy of the Corbyn leadership - WPA Pool/Getty Images

For me, the equivalent from this year’s Labour’s conference in Brighton was the moment that the party’s new general secretary David Evans, a staunch ally of Sir Keir Starmer, unwisely asked delegates to think about what had first inspired them to join the party.

He received an instant volley of “Ohhhhh Jeremy Corrrrbyn!" Nothing better encapsulates the Corbyn ghost that continues to haunt the Labour Conference. Or rather the poltergeist, because unlike more genteel phantoms, this one is inflicting real damage.

Madeline Grant: The Labour Party has a long way to go


08:07 AM

Private school tax would fund Labour's mental health plans

Mental health policies to be announced by Sir Keir Starmer would be funded by a £1.7 billion tax burden on private schools, David Lammy has confirmed.

He was asked by Kay Burley about how the proposals were to be funded and how much they would cost, although Mr Lammy declined to answer the latter question.

David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, has detailed the £1.7bn tax burden on private schools that would pay for mental health policy under a Labour government - Justin Tallis/AFP
David Lammy, the shadow justice secretary, has detailed the £1.7bn tax burden on private schools that would pay for mental health policy under a Labour government - Justin Tallis/AFP

"We're going to raise £1.7 billion by business rates and VAT levy on private schools and we've also set out that we will raise further funds on VAT," he said.

With regards to the HGV crisis, Mr Lammy said his party had to be clear that "decisions were made in relation to the Brexit deal" that have contributed to the current situation.


07:58 AM

Labour must be 'fiscally responsible' over minimum wage, says Lammy

Labour must be "fiscally responsible" in its policy on the minimum wage, David Lammy has said.

While he was "very sad to see Andy [McDonald] resign in the way he did" over the issue on Monday evening, he told Sky that Labour's policy had to chime with the reality for small and medium enterprise after the pandemic.

"It's very important to be clear about the minimum wage and we've said £10 an hour but we have to be fiscally responsible," he said.

"A lot of small business will say 'we've been struggling over the last year and a jump from £8.91 an hour to £15 is not something we can understand'.

On Mr McDonald's resignation, David Lammy praised his "very good work with Angela Rayner" while in the shadow cabinet.


07:45 AM

Row over Rayner is simply a sideshow, claims David Lammy

David Lammy has said that the furore over Angela Rayner calling the Conservatives "scum" was "a sideshow" and that he would "not take lectures" from the Tory Party.

"I don't want to get into it to be honest. What matters today is Keir Starmer's speech, mental health matters, education of our health matters, the climate emergency matters," Mr Lammy told Sky.

"I've been accused over the years of strong language in relation to my opponents but in the end it's the substance of policies that will win an election.

"And to be honest I don't think the Labour Party need to take lectures from a Conservative Party with a leader that's said terrible things about all sorts of people. He called people like me 'people with watermelon smiles' and 'piccaninnies'."

Pressed on whether Boris Johnson's past comments were racist, Mr Lammy said "that's how I'd define it".

However the shadow justice secretary added: "These issues of identity are not what the British people need at this time - they can't get fuel."


07:40 AM

Jeremy Corbyn 'is the past' of Labour, says David Lammy

Jeremy Corbyn "is the past" of the Labour Party and its focus must now be on winning an election, a shadow minister has said.

David Lammy was asked by Sky News' Kay Burley whether Mr Corbyn was trying to "steal Keir Starmer's thunder" by addressing multiple events in Brighton since Sunday.

"Anyone can come to our fringe but I've got to say Jeremy Corbyn is the past," Mr Lammy replied. "We lost the General Election, we lost decisively very sadly, we're down to the worst number of MPs since 1935.

"Keir's job has been of course to rebuild our party but to earn the British people's trust and to put us in a place where we can win a general election rather than losing one. The British people will tune in and watch the clips so this is a hugely important moment for us."

Asked if Sir Keir would be hurt that his own loyalty to Corbyn was not reciprocated, Mr Lammy said "I don't think [Keir] is bothered... he's as cool as a cucumber."

Labour's conference had been "bumpy at the start" amid changes to the party rulebook, Mr Lammy acknowledged, but said the current fuel crisis represented "a massive opportunity" for Labour's policy offering.


07:32 AM

HGV drivers 'aren't coming' because of Brexit deal, says Labour frontbencher

Food shortages are "down to Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Priti Patel, Dominic Raab and the promises they made to the British people", a Labour frontbencher has said.

David Lammy told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there were no queues in EU countries, despite them also having shortages of HGV drivers. "So what's the difference? The difference is we exited the EU on Boris' deal, we are out of the customs union... drivers aren't coming."

He said Sir Keir Starmer would "hold Boris to account for his deal", but declined to comment on Labour's position towards free movement.


07:26 AM

HGV shortages caused by the Brexit deal 'that Boris Johnson struck', says Labour frontbencher

David Lammy has blamed Boris Johnson's Brexit deal for the HGV driver shortage.

The shadow justice secretary told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "Brexit is responsible for some of the problems we are seeing. On this fuel crisis, there are not queues to get fuel in France, in Spain, in Germany, but there are fuel queues in our own country.

"That is as the result of exiting the European Union with the deal that Boris Johnson struck."

Mr Lammy said: "This was his deal, we hold him to account for his deal.

"What it means is - why would drivers come here, when they are going back without goods, when they have got to pay tariffs? They would rather be in another country in Europe."


07:24 AM

Boris Johnson's 'cupboard is bare', says Labour frontbencher

Boris Johnson is "a clown" who has nothing to offer the British public, and it is down to Labour to get that message across, David Lammy has said.

The shadow justice secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This is a Prime Minister who is unable to set priorities. Everything is a priority, everything is a joke.

"He is a clown and we have to demonstrate that."

Mr Lammy added: "We are returning to politics as normal after years of just talking about Brexit and the pandemic and the cupboard is pretty bare."


07:19 AM

Labour must be responsive - and responsible - says shadow minister

Sir Keir Starmer will look to convince the public that he can be trusted to run the country - and be fiscally responsible - David Lammy has said.

The shadow justice secretary told Radio 4's Today programme: "The British people will be looking in for first time at this conf speech... and yes, they want to see change."

People want to know the Labour leader's "back story, what his values are and what course he is setting for the country", he added. "This is not a PhD thesis on Marxist philosophy... it's about having values, yes, but being responsive and flexible to what people want."

That might include "a degree of nationalisation" and a higher minimum wage, he added, but it would be "responsive to needs" as they arose.


07:14 AM

Fuel supplier says worst is over for fuel crisis - but other shortages could run into Christmas

The head of a fuel supplier has predicted the UK is over the worst of the shortage at petrol pumps - but warned that HGV driver shortages could affect general supply chains over Christmas.

James Spencer, managing director at Portland Fuel, told the BBC "the worst is behind us" when it comes to fuel - but noted that HGV driver shortages were far worse than tanker drivers.

He explained: "There is a minor supply problem which is related to a shortage in tanker drivers. The shortage of tanker drivers is nothing like as acute as the shortage of general haulage drivers."

Mr Spencer added: "That has a knock-on effect for everything we rely on and certainly we rely on for Christmas... it's going to be a tough few months for consumers."


07:12 AM

Hospitality raises warning bell over staff shortages, saying 'we cannot cope'

The hospitality industry has raised another warning about shortages in their industry, saying they "cannot cope" without Government support.

Hospitality UK boss Kate Nicholls told Sky News the staff shortages from earlier this year remain with approximately 180, 000 jobs empty throughout the industry. As a result, firms are unable to reopen fully, either restricting hours or keeping sections of premises shut.

She called for a Covid recovery visa to enable workers to come back from the Continent, saying: "We would like to see govt welcome them back, Simplifying rules… to get staff in.

"We are doing our bit, but we have a two year hiatus, where we haven't been able to train chefs and workers. We need to get over that bump."

Asked how the industry would cope without it, she said: "We simply can’t cope."


06:59 AM

French accuse UK of igniting a new fishing war

A fresh Brexit fishing war threatened to break out on Tuesday night after the Government rejected three quarters of applications from small French boats to fish waters around Britain.

Ministers announced that just 12 licences out of a total of 47 will be granted to French vessels under 12 metres applying to fish the UK's inshore waters.

Jersey will also confirm on Wednesday that it is granting fewer licences than the 169 requested by France only months after a French flotilla surrounded St Helier, its main port, amid a row over access to its waters.


06:58 AM

Good Morning

Sir Keir Starmer will be hoping to make a splash in Brighton today when he gives his big conference speech.

But the Labour leader faces choppy waters convincing the left of the party to back him as he looks to adopt a more Blairite approach to winning.

Meanwhile shortages at the petrol pump look set to ease - but problems remain elsewhere.

Here is today's front page.