Sir Keir Starmer has delivered his first Labour conference speech as prime minister, where he declared: “Change has begun”.
The prime minister gave his speech against the backdrop of a gloomy economic picture and deteriorating public services.
While Sir Keir’s speech was heavy on rhetoric and light on policy – due to the constraints the government believes it has over spending – there were a few key moments that stood out. Sky News takes you through them.
Hillsborough law to be introduced before April
Leading Sir Keir’s speech is a promise he made previously about bringing in a Hillsborough law – something he called a “law for Liverpool” in recognition of the 97 people who died at the fatal crush in Sheffield in April 1989.
The law would create a legal “duty of candour” on public authorities and officials to tell the truth and proactively cooperate with official investigations and inquiries.
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Sir Keir said people “should never have needed to fight so hard to get” the policy but insisted it “will be delivered” by Labour.
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He said the law would not only help deliver justice for Hillsborough families but also the victims of the Post Office Horizon scandal, the infected blood scandal, the Windrush scandal and the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
He said Hillsborough Law will include criminal sanctions and be introduced to parliament before the next anniversary in April.
Sausages slip up
Addressing the escalating conflict in Lebanon – where authorities say 558 people have been killed by Israeli strikes – Sir Keir urged both sides to exercise “restraint” and focus on “de-escalation at the border”.
The prime minister told the audience: “I call again for restraint and de-escalation at the border between Lebanon and Israel. Again, all parties to pull back from the brink.”
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But in an apparent slip of the tongue, Sir Keir repeated his call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as well as the “return of the sausages” – which he quickly corrected to the “hostages” taken by Hamas.
He also reaffirmed his commitment to the two-state solution, with a “recognised Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel”.
He said he would take the same message to the UN General Assembly in New York, which he will be attending tomorrow.
Homes for heroes
Another key moment in the speech came when Sir Keir pledged to “house all veterans in need” as a means to “repay those who served us”.
The prime minister said there was an “injustice hiding in plain sight on our streets, in every town and city in this country”.
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He described the nation’s veterans as “people who were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, who put their lives on the line to protect us all – but who will not have a safe place to sleep tonight”.
“We cannot stand by and let this happen anymore,” he added.
Defence of winter fuel cut
Much of this year’s conference has been dominated by the government’s controversial decision to scrap winter fuel payments for the majority of pensioners.
The criticism has been even more stinging in light of the row over Sir Keir and other cabinet ministers accepting a number of freebies and perks from companies and donors.
But Sir Keir was resolute in his speech that the move was the right thing to do and attempted to reassure those who may fear they will not be able to heat their homes this winter.
“I understand many of the decisions we must take will be unpopular,” he told the audience.
“If they were popular, they’d be easy, but the cost of filling that black hole in our public finances, that will be shared fairly.”
He continued: “If you can’t take that on faith, perhaps because you’re concerned about the winter fuel allowance, then I get that.
“Stabilising our economy is the first step of this long-term plan, the only way we keep prices low, cut NHS waiting lists, and secure the triple lock so that every pensioner in this country, every pensioner, will be better off with Labour.”
PM delivers strong message to rioters
Migration – historically a tricky area for Labour – also featured in Sir Keir’s speech, where he said he has “always accepted” that concerns about it are “legitimate”.
But he said the debate cannot and should not be about the “worth of migrants” but about the “control of migration”.
He argued that those who were involved in the riots in the summer were not the same people who had legitimate concerns about migration.
“No, people concerned about immigration were not doing that because they understand that this country, this democratic country, is built on the rule of law, the ballot box, the common understanding that we debate our differences,” he said.
“We do not settle them with violent thuggery, and that racism is vile, so to those of you who equivocate about this, I simply say: the country sees you and it rejects you.”
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Heckler tackles Sir Keir over Gaza
Towards the end of the prime minister’s speech, a heckler, later identified as 18-year-old Labour member Daniel Riley, confronted Sir Keir over the government’s stance on the Middle East.
The protester could be heard shouting about “the children of Gaza”.
The prime minister responded by telling the audience: “This guy’s obviously got a pass from the 2019 conference” – a reference to how the party has changed under his leadership.
He adds: “While he’s been protesting, we’ve been changing the party. That’s why we’ve got a Labour government.”
