A Government minister has taken to the stage to address Labour conference for the first time in 15 years.
In a significant moment, Cabinet minister and Party Chair Ellie Reeves gave a speech in the main hall as thousands descended on Liverpool for the first annual conference since Labour’s huge election win in July. She was joined on the stage by Chancellor Rachel Reeves – who is her sister – and Deputy PM Angela Rayner.
Addressing the hall, Ms Reeves said: “Conference, it’s a pleasure to be stood here in Liverpool, the first time a government minister has addressed Labour Party conference for 15 years.” The hall broke out into huge applause, before she continued: “The last time was in 2009 when the brilliant Harriet Harman closed conference – I’m delighted that Harriet is with us in the hall today.”
In a moving moment Ms Reeves paid tribute to her sister Rachel, who was sitting on the panel beside her and who is the first female Chancellor in our country’s history. Sharing a sweet memory from their childhood, she said: “Rachel we have come a long way since I ran your campaign for the mock election at school in 1992.” The pair are the first sisters to sit around the Cabinet table.
Ms Reeves used her speech to thank Labour members in the audience who helped the party achieve an historic election win in July. She said the campaign plan may have been drawn up in Labour HQ, but was carried out by the people in the crowd, who campaigned across the country. “From the bottom of my heart thank you,” she said.
The Labour minister praised Keir Starmer for leading the party to victory, before launching into a fierce attack on the Tories. She said: “We must never let people forget the chaos the Conservatives unleashed. Their 14 years in office meant lower growth than any Labour government has ever delivered.
“Even worse they set out to destroy people’s faith in democracy and the power of the vote. We have to deliver growth, rebuild our ruined public services and show the British people they have the power to change their destiny through the ballot box.”
Thousands of party members, politicians, journalists and stakeholders have gathered in Liverpool for the party’s annual conference. The gathering was originally expected to be a victory lap for the party after its landslide success at the general election.
But Labour is now braced for a clash with the unions over its plans to limit winter fuel payments to only the poorest pensioners. The embattled Prime Minister is meanwhile seeking to move on from rows about internal strife at No 10 and donors.