Tell us the largest situation you need Keir Starmer to sort out – ballot
With so many things begging to be put right across our broken UK, we ask which burning issue you would most like to see Prime Minister Keir Starmer tackle, as he takes to the stage at the Labour Party conference.
Sir Keir Starmer is set to defend his focus on ‘short-term pain for long-term gain’ in his keynote speech today. In his first conference speech as PM, he will again highlight the £22 billion ‘black hole’ in public finances left behind by the Tories. He will stress that fixing it offers ‘no easy answers’ and refuse to give the public ‘false hope’.
However, Starmer will also strike an optimistic tone, promising to “build a Britain that belongs to you …. a nation that once again serves the interests of working people.” He will reassure listeners that under Labour’s plan, the country will progress more swiftly towards that vision.
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In a bold policy pledge, Starmer will vow to reduce net migration by boosting domestic training opportunities, cutting the need to ‘import labour’ from abroad. He will also target benefit fraud and work to reduce long-term sickness in an effort to get people back to work.
One of the key announcements expected is the introduction of a ‘Hillsborough Law’ by the next anniversary of the 1989 tragedy, which claimed 97 lives. This law would create a statutory duty of candour for public servants during all public inquiries and criminal investigations. Starmer will call this “a law for Liverpool, a law for the 97” – a piece of legislation that, while long overdue, will finally be delivered by his government.
This announcement follows Labour’s commitment, made two years ago, to pass the law if they came into power. In his speech, Starmer will stress the importance of fulfilling this promise to bring justice and accountability.
Labour ministers have faced criticism for their stark warnings about the economic challenges and public services under strain, with predictions of a ‘painful’ budget looming at the end of next month. Despite these warnings, Labour is keen to project optimism, rejecting a return to ‘austerity’ and instead promising ‘real ambition’ for the future of the UK.
Addressing supporters in Liverpool, Starmer will call on the country to come together in the face of hardship, emphasising that national renewal is a collective struggle.
He will point to his key missions for government – raising living standards through economic growth, cutting NHS waiting lists, and making streets safer – arguing that tough decisions made now will lead to a brighter future. “The truth is that if we take tough long-term decisions now, if we stick to the driving purpose behind everything we do… then that light at the end of this tunnel, that Britain that belongs to you, we get there much more quickly.”
However, Starmer will be clear-eyed about the difficulties ahead, calling the challenges ‘not rhetoric, but reality’.
