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Jeremy Corbyn's speech to Labour conference: key points Jeremy Corbyn's speech to Labour conference: key points
(35 minutes later)
Labour is on the threshold of power and has become the government in waiting. This is a big crowd-pleasing line. Labour only won 262 MPs out of 650 but made a significant gain in vote share and added seats in unexpected areas. Jeremy Corbyn is also sounding much more confident as a potential future prime minister and determined about gaining power. Labour is on the threshold of power and has become the government in waiting. Labour only won 262 MPs out of 650 but made a significant gain in vote share and added seats in unexpected areas. Jeremy Corbyn is also sounding much more confident as a potential future prime minister.
Tories are definitely not strong or stable but relying on the magic money tree. The Labour leader is turning the Conservatives’ rhetoric on themselves, highlighting Theresa May’s warning before the election against a coalition of chaos under Labour. He also embarks on a rare attack on individual cabinet members such as Boris Johnson over their squabbling behaviour over Brexit. Tories are definitely not strong or stable but relying on the magic money tree. The Labour leader is turning the Conservatives’ rhetoric on themselves. He also embarks on a rare attack on individual cabinet members such as Boris Johnson over their squabbling behaviour over Brexit.
The Tories are “callous and calculating” as Britain is facing increasing poverty and homelessness under austerity. The Labour leader gets more passion in his voice as he returns to familiar terrain attacking Tory manifesto policies – from scrapping free school meals to the return of foxhunting. He contrasts Tory lack of ideas with Labour’s energy, which is evident in the rapturous conference hall. The Tories are “callous and calculating” as Britain is facing increasing poverty and homelessness under austerity. The Labour leader gets more passion in his voice as he returns to familiar terrain attacking Tory manifesto policies – from scrapping free school meals to the return of foxhunting.
Labour is the “new common sense” party. This is a major new slogan from Labour which seeks to present Corbyn’s politics as mainstream, reasonable and non-scary for swing voters. It is designed to counter Tory attacks that Corbyn is a dangerous revolutionary who would wreck the economy.
The manifesto and the membership were the two stars of the election campaign. The Labour leader is very proud both of his popular manifesto policies and of having grown the membership to more than half a million. However, there is no mention of another “M” word – the MPs – who entered parliament to represent their party and have been at times antagonistic towards the leader.
Labour is the party of unity, young and old. It is remarkable that the Labour leader can make this claim just a year after the divisions and talk of a split at last year’s conference. It is not yet quite true that young and old are united in support of Labour though – the young overwhelmingly opted for Labour while older people voted for the Tories in their droves.Labour is the party of unity, young and old. It is remarkable that the Labour leader can make this claim just a year after the divisions and talk of a split at last year’s conference. It is not yet quite true that young and old are united in support of Labour though – the young overwhelmingly opted for Labour while older people voted for the Tories in their droves.
Corbyn attacks the traditional media and its tax exile owners who “trash Labour at every turn”, especially the Daily Mail. Labour had support from only a few newspapers including the Guardian and Mirror at the election but the majority of the press were against the party. Corbyn makes a joke that he wishes the Mail would extend its coverage because it was counterproductive. But he makes a serious point that hostile media coverage fuelled abuse online against Diane Abbott. Then everyone sings happy birthday to Abbott. Corbyn attacks the traditional media and its tax exile owners who “trash Labour at every turn”, especially the Daily Mail. Corbyn makes a joke that he wishes the Mail would extend its coverage because it was counterproductive. But he makes a serious point that hostile media coverage fuelled abuse online against Diane Abbott.
No abuse will be tolerated by anyone in Labour. However, he only singles out abuse against Abbott, which accounted for more than half of all the vitriol aimed at MPs. He does not mention the furore over antisemitism at conference. No abuse will be tolerated by anyone in Labour. However, he only singles out abuse against Abbott, which accounted for more than half of all the vitriol aimed at MPs. He does not directly mention the furore over antisemitism at the conference.
Labour will not be passive on Brexit. Corbyn attacks the Tories’ “self-interested Brexit bungling” and says Labour will not let the them get away with lies on the side of the bus or stating the obvious after 15 months – a reference to May’s Florence speech. He urges the Conservatives to pull themselves together or make way for Labour, although his own party has only said what it wants for the transition, not the permanent future relationship after Brexit. Labour will not be passive on Brexit. Corbyn attacks the Tories’ “self-interested Brexit bungling” and says Labour will not let the them get away with lies on the side of the bus or stating the obvious after 15 months – a reference to May’s Florence speech.
Labour is the only party that can unite those who want to leave and those who want to remain. That is a big promise and very difficult to achieve given the strong feelings on both sides. Corbyn says it is possible if Labour is allowed to run the economy, boost wages, improve employment laws and make people’s living standards better, so no one blames migrants for driving down pay and conditions.Labour is the only party that can unite those who want to leave and those who want to remain. That is a big promise and very difficult to achieve given the strong feelings on both sides. Corbyn says it is possible if Labour is allowed to run the economy, boost wages, improve employment laws and make people’s living standards better, so no one blames migrants for driving down pay and conditions.
The economy is at risk under the Tories regardless of Brexit. The Labour leader cleverly links the Conservatives’ economic policies to the excesses of the economic crash, as people are still feeling the effects almost a decade later. He is trying to rewrite the narrative set by David Cameron and George Osborne in 2010 that Labour crashed the economy by highlighting the role of poor regulation in the banking crisis.
Corbyn recommits to taking back utilities into public ownership. This was a manifesto policy but he singles out the water companies for particular criticism for high pay and dividends to foreign owners. It is a policy that goes down very well with the membership.Corbyn recommits to taking back utilities into public ownership. This was a manifesto policy but he singles out the water companies for particular criticism for high pay and dividends to foreign owners. It is a policy that goes down very well with the membership.
Businesses will have to pay a bit more tax. Labour says it is focusing its tax-raising plans on businesses and higher earners, while promising low and middle earners will not be affected.Businesses will have to pay a bit more tax. Labour says it is focusing its tax-raising plans on businesses and higher earners, while promising low and middle earners will not be affected.
Corbyn puts the Grenfell fire tragedy at the heart of his speech, saying housing will be a Labour priority. Frustration at expensive and poor quality housing is a major reason why younger voters have turned to Labour and shunned the Conservatives. Labour’s concrete proposals have sent the Tories scrabbling for ideas to increase housebuilding and make homes more affordable. Corbyn puts the Grenfell fire tragedy at the heart of his speech, saying housing will be a Labour priority.
A Labour government will bring in rent controls and regeneration schemes. These are the first two elements of new policy in Corbyn’s speech. He says regeneration schemes will have to benefit existing communities, as tenants must still get a home on the same site and will get a ballot on whether the project should go ahead. That will be a blow to developers who often try to limit affordable housing in new schemes. His line on rent controls would hand power to cities, potentially going as far as controlling prices, not just the rate of increases. A Labour government will bring in rent controls and ensure tenants are rehoused locally when estates are regenerated. He says regeneration schemes will have to benefit existing communities, as tenants must still get a home on the same site and will get a ballot on whether the project should go ahead. That will be a blow to developers who often try to limit affordable housing in new schemes. His line on rent controls would hand power to cities, potentially going as far as controlling prices, not just the rate of increases.
Labour would scrap the public sector pay cap. This is no surprise as the trade unions have long fought against the 1% cap and Corbyn has repeatedly spoken against it. May is now under pressure to do so at the Conservative party conference or in the budget. Labour would scrap the public sector pay cap. This is no surprise as the trade unions have long fought against the 1% cap and Corbyn has repeatedly spoken against it.
Labour would change the law on organ donation so people are presumed to be in favour of donation unless they have opted out. This has been a big campaign by the Mirror, and would mean families no longer have to take difficult decisions at the bedsides of dying relatives. Labour would change the law on organ donation so people are presumed to consent to donation unless they have opted out. This has been a big campaign by the Mirror, and would mean families no longer have to take difficult decisions at the bedsides of dying relatives.
Tuition fees would be scrapped for both university and further education students. The Labour leader stresses that people will be funded through vocational courses and qualifications as well, taking the emphasis off the free university education that became a focal point during the election campaign.Tuition fees would be scrapped for both university and further education students. The Labour leader stresses that people will be funded through vocational courses and qualifications as well, taking the emphasis off the free university education that became a focal point during the election campaign.
Democracy is under threat from both dictatorships and political elites. This is a new version of the Labour leader’s attacks on the the political establishment, appearing to equate authoritarian regimes with democracies where governments do not listen to their voters.Democracy is under threat from both dictatorships and political elites. This is a new version of the Labour leader’s attacks on the the political establishment, appearing to equate authoritarian regimes with democracies where governments do not listen to their voters.
Corbyn dismisses those who still want to “do politics the old way”. That appears to be a mildly worded warning to the Labour MPs and officials who still pine after the Blair and Brown era. The Labour leader is clear that things have changed and will continue to change in favour of giving more power to the membership.Corbyn dismisses those who still want to “do politics the old way”. That appears to be a mildly worded warning to the Labour MPs and officials who still pine after the Blair and Brown era. The Labour leader is clear that things have changed and will continue to change in favour of giving more power to the membership.
Bombing campaigns must not be the kneejerk response to the five awful acts of terrorism the UK has suffered. This is a repeat of the Labour leader’s argument during the election campaign that foreign wars have exacerbated the terror threat, which appeared to be well received by the public. Perhaps the biggest cheers of the whole speech go to his plea for an end to the oppression of the Palestinian people.
Corbyn ends with a rousing promise to offer “an antidote to apathy and despair”. The crowd was delighted with Corbyn’s speech, which ran through the party’s election manifesto and contained little that was controversial. He finished to a transitional rendition of the Red Flag, followed by Jerusalem.