No steer from Keir during first conference speech in Government
Craig Davidson, Associate Director24/09/2024
A bumper crowd made the journey to Liverpool to see the first conference speech by a Labour Prime Minister since Gordon Brown 15 years ago.
But in his address, Sir Keir Starmer was wearing his other hat – that of Labour party leader. There was little of substance on the direction of his new government which people hadn’t already heard.
His speech was broadly focussed on a Labour audience whose confidence and energy have been sapped by a barrage of negative headlines on Winter Fuel Payments, ‘passes for glasses’ and hospitality at Arsenal games.
His speech was an opportunity to reset and move on.
Instead, he had some hard messages for Labour members about the challenges of being in government as well as some crowd-pleasing policies and personal stories.
He announced plans for more apprenticeships and homes for veterans. There was a nod to the host city with legislation relating to the Hillsborough disaster, and he confirmed Aberdeen would be the home of GB Energy.
But, in truth, Starmer’s speech was more notable for what he didn’t say.
First, on the various controversies engulfing the government on freebies, he said nothing. It feels like wishful thinking to believe ignoring these will help make them go away.
And secondly, he gave no further hints as to how he will fill the £22 billion blackhole Chancellor Rachel Reeves has revealed in the nation’s finances and will need to be tackled when the Government reveals its first Budget in a few weeks time. Speculation is rife about what taxes could rise or whether schemes like the Winter Fuel Payments will be cut.
Despite a historic election just months ago, an air of negativity has attached itself to this Labour government and there was little sign today that Starmer’s speech has dispelled this.
He finished with a promise to deliver on his ambitious agenda on the economy, energy, and public services. He knows, ultimately, he will be judged on his actions, not his words.
After a rocky few weeks and a surprisingly subdued conference, the next challenge for the Government is the Budget on October 30th.
If Starmer is to make a success of it, he will have to be much sharper at making the case for his decisions and what the Government is trying to achieve with them. Getting the tone right will be vital. Avoiding some of the recent gaffes in the future would also be helpful.
The audience at conference can forgive him for his mistakes, having won an election just two months ago. But if he messes up the Budget, the rest of the country won’t give him a free pass.
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