Starmer to discuss ‘shared struggle’ in first Labour conference speech

KEIR Starmer will call for Britons to engage in a "shared struggle" to "build a new Britain" during his keynote speech at the Labour Party’s annual conference on Tuesday, marking their first time in power in 15 years.

Starmer, 62, is expected to reject "easy answers" as he faces pressure to present a more optimistic vision since Labour's election victory in July. The Labour leader will defend the "short-term pain of tough decisions" for "long-term gain," according to excerpts released to the media.

Labour, under Starmer, returned to power for the first time since 2010 with a landslide victory over the Conservatives on 4 July. However, he has faced criticism for scrapping universal winter heating payments for pensioners. The lead-up to the conference was also overshadowed by a row over gifts received by senior Labour figures.

Starmer is expected to use his address at the four-day gathering in Liverpool to emphasise that it will take time and collective effort to resolve the challenges facing Britain.

"The politics of national renewal are collective. They involve a shared struggle," he is set to say. "A project that says, to everyone, this will be tough in the short term, but in the long term it's the right thing to do for our country. And we all benefit from that."

Starmer is also expected to address criticism that he and chancellor Rachel Reeves are harming economic growth and investment by being too pessimistic about the state of the country. He has spent much of his first weeks in office blaming the Conservatives for issues such as public finances, prisons, and the National Health Service.

The Conservative Party has accused Starmer of exaggerating the problems he inherited and preparing the ground for tax increases in the upcoming 30 October budget, which Starmer has warned will be "painful".

"I know that the cost-of-living crisis drew a veil over the joy and wonder in our lives and that people want respite and relief, and may even have voted Labour for that reason," he is expected to say.

"Our project has not and never will change. I changed the Labour Party to restore it to the service of working people. And that is exactly what we will do for Britain. But I will not do it with easy answers. I will not do it with false hope."

Labour is seeking to move past controversy over expensive gifts received by Starmer and other senior party members, including clothing and concert tickets. All gifts were declared according to parliamentary rules, but the issue has prompted accusations of hypocrisy as Starmer calls on Britons to tighten their belts.

He is expected to highlight Labour’s initial legislative actions, including the creation of a national wealth fund, a publicly owned green energy company, and the renationalisation of Britain's railways.

"We're only just getting started," he is set to say.

(With inputs from AFP)