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| Key takeaways from Keir Starmer's conference speech | Key takeaways from Keir Starmer's conference speech |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Published24 September 2024, 16:58 BST | Published24 September 2024, 16:58 BST |
| Comments | |
| Sir Keir Starmer used his first Labour Party conference speech as prime minister to outline his ideas for "national renewal". | Sir Keir Starmer used his first Labour Party conference speech as prime minister to outline his ideas for "national renewal". |
| The PM's 54 minute speech - which was briefly interrupted once by a heckler - hailed the party's election victory and laid out ideas for government. | The PM's 54 minute speech - which was briefly interrupted once by a heckler - hailed the party's election victory and laid out ideas for government. |
| Here's some key takeaways from his speech. | Here's some key takeaways from his speech. |
| Pylons and prisons | |
| Sir Keir emphasised that trade-offs were needed, saying there are "no easy answers" to problems - but he used his speech to try to frame the path forward as a "shared struggle". | |
| "This will be tough in the short-term, but in the long-term it’s the right thing to do for our country," he argued. | "This will be tough in the short-term, but in the long-term it’s the right thing to do for our country," he argued. |
| He said there’s "light at the end of the tunnel", but said there was still a tunnel to get through first. | |
| And he told the audience that politicians needed to level with the country: "If we want justice to be served, some communities must live close to new prisons...if we want cheaper electricity, we need new pylons overground otherwise the burden on taxpayers is too much." | And he told the audience that politicians needed to level with the country: "If we want justice to be served, some communities must live close to new prisons...if we want cheaper electricity, we need new pylons overground otherwise the burden on taxpayers is too much." |
| Strikingly, Sir Keir nodded to ex-Chancellor George Osborne’s phrase from the austerity era, telling the audience: "To coin a phrase, 'we’re all in it together'." | Strikingly, Sir Keir nodded to ex-Chancellor George Osborne’s phrase from the austerity era, telling the audience: "To coin a phrase, 'we’re all in it together'." |
| We're just getting started, says PM | |
| One of the loudest cheers erupted when Sir Keir outlined Labour's work since gaining power. | |
| He told the conference audience that the work of change had already begun - and listed what he said the government had achieved. | |
| "Planning - reformed. Doctors - back in theatre....the onshore ban - lifted." | |
| Last on the list: "The Railway Services Bill - bringing our railways back into public ownership." | |
| We're only just getting started, he said, emphasising that the changes Labour are bringing in "must mean nothing less than national renewal". | |
| Winter Fuel Payment cuts addressed | |
| Sir Keir tackled the biggest controversy of his premiership telling members he "gets" why cutting winter fuel payments for most pensioners worries people. | |
| But Labour needs to fill a "black hole in our public finances" left by the Tories to stabilise the economy, he said. | |
| "If this path were popular or easy we would have walked it already," Sir Keir said. | |
| Homes for heroes | Homes for heroes |
| Sir Keir announced a new policy to give homeless veterans better access to housing waiting lists, pledging to repay those who "put their lives on the line to protect us all". | Sir Keir announced a new policy to give homeless veterans better access to housing waiting lists, pledging to repay those who "put their lives on the line to protect us all". |
| The number of veterans sleeping rough was a "hidden injustice", Sir Keir said. | The number of veterans sleeping rough was a "hidden injustice", Sir Keir said. |
| The policy will mean veterans, young care leavers and domestic abuse victims will be able to apply for social housing in any local authority in the UK for life. | The policy will mean veterans, young care leavers and domestic abuse victims will be able to apply for social housing in any local authority in the UK for life. |
| Current rules forcing housing applicants to prove a local connection to the area unfairly harm these groups and will be scrapped, Labour says. | Current rules forcing housing applicants to prove a local connection to the area unfairly harm these groups and will be scrapped, Labour says. |
| "Homes will be there for heroes," Sir Keir said. | "Homes will be there for heroes," Sir Keir said. |
| Blowing his own flute | Blowing his own flute |
| Sir Keir revealed the joy he felt playing the flute in school, as he talked about Labour's aim of creating opportunities for future generations through sport and art. | Sir Keir revealed the joy he felt playing the flute in school, as he talked about Labour's aim of creating opportunities for future generations through sport and art. |
| Playing the flute “gave me great joy as a kid” and opened “so many opportunities,” including his first trip abroad with the Croydon Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. | Playing the flute “gave me great joy as a kid” and opened “so many opportunities,” including his first trip abroad with the Croydon Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. |
| His time as a flautist left a lasting impression, he said. | His time as a flautist left a lasting impression, he said. |
| "Even now I turn to Beethoven or Brahms in those moments when, how to put it, the reviews aren’t so good. | "Even now I turn to Beethoven or Brahms in those moments when, how to put it, the reviews aren’t so good. |
| "I've got some Shostakovich lined up for tomorrow," he jokes. | "I've got some Shostakovich lined up for tomorrow," he jokes. |
| Related topics | Related topics |
| Keir Starmer | Keir Starmer |
| Boris Johnson | Boris Johnson |
| Labour Party | Labour Party |