Sir Keir Starmer has defended removing the winter fuel allowance from millions of pensioners as he warned of a “hard” path ahead.
The prime minister, giving his keynote speech at Labour’s conference, was attempting to turn around the doom and gloom of the past few months as he said his government would change the country, but warned it will take time.
Towards the end of his speech, Sir Keir was interrupted by protester Daniel Riley, 18, who stood up and shouted: “Children of Gaza”.
The prime minister took it in his stride as he resumed his speech to applause and said: “This guy’s obviously got a pass from the 2019 conference [when Jeremy Corbyn was Labour leader]. We’ve changed the party – while he’s been protesting, we’ve been changing the party, that’s why we’ve got a Labour government.”
During his speech, he addressed concern about cutting the winter fuel allowance, admitting some have lost faith in his party due to the policy.
Sir Keir promised to get the welfare bill down, rebuild public services, protect public services “in a Labour way” – and “no return to Tory austerity”.
“If you can’t take that on faith, perhaps because you’re concerned about the winter fuel allowance, then I get that,” he told the conference in Liverpool.
“As I say, if this path were popular or easy we would have walked it already.
“But the risk of showing to the world – as the Tories did – that this country does not fund its policies properly; that is a risk we can never take again.
“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.”
He added Labour is stabilising the economy and fixing the foundations to “build, with pride and determination, a Britain that belongs to you”.
“But it will be hard,” he said.
“That’s not rhetoric – it’s reality.”
He failed to mention the triple lock – which means the state pension goes up each year by whichever is higher of 2.5%, inflation or earnings growth – was introduced by the coalition government in 2011.
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‘Hillsborough Law will be introduced before April’
Sir Keir used the fact he was in Liverpool to announce the Hillsborough Law – legislation to force public bodies to co-operate with investigations into major disasters – will be introduced to parliament before the next anniversary of the disaster in April.
A terrace crush at an FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield on 15 April 1989 resulted in the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans.
Homes for Heroes
Sir Keir also used his speech to announce all veterans will be given housing by the government.
“Because there is another injustice hiding in plain sight on our streets, in every town and city in this country,” he said.
“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, and so today I can announce that this government will respect that service, we will repay those who served us and house all veterans in housing need.
“Homes will be there for heroes.”
He also confirmed Labour’s publicly owned energy company, GB Energy, will be based in Aberdeen. There had been rumours it would be there but this was the first time it has been confirmed.
Middle East
Sir Keir also addressed the escalating situation in the Middle East as he called for “restraint and de-escalation at the border between Lebanon and Israel”.
“I call again – for all parties to step back from the brink,” he said.
“I call again – for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the return of the hostages and a recommitment to the two-state solution: recognised Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.”
The prime minister stumbled over his words as he accidentally said “the return of the sausages” and quickly corrected himself to say “the return of the hostages”.
Glitter on a shirt cuff
Not one to miss a chance to criticise his Tory predecessors, he said he would not pay attention to those who attack him as he referenced when a heckler threw glitter on him at last year’s conference.
“You know me by now, so you know all those shouts and bellows, the bad faith advice from people who still hanker for the politics of noisy performance, the weak and cowardly fantasy of populism – it’s water off a duck’s back.
“Mere glitter on a shirt cuff.
“It’s never distracted me before, and it won’t distract me now. This is a long-term project.
“The patient, calm, determined era of politics as service has begun.”
