Sir Keir Starmer to defend ‘short-term pain’ amid unease over new government’s gloomy outlook
Sir Keir Starmer will defend focusing on “short-term pain” for “long-term gain” as he reiterates the need for “tough decisions” during his keynote speech at the Labour Party conference.
Speaking in Liverpool on Tuesday, the prime minister will again point to the £22bn “black hole” in public finances he claims was left by the Conservatives, saying there are “no easy answers” to fixing it, and refusing to offer “false hope” to the public.
But he will promise to “build a Britain that belongs to you” and “once again serves the interests of working people”, adding Labour’s plan will ensure the country “gets there much more quickly”.
Sir Keir is also expected to pledge a cut in net migration by increasing training opportunities in the UK, rather than “importing labour” from abroad, and a crackdown on benefit fraud, as well as tackling long-term sickness “to get people back to work”.
And he will commit to introducing a “Hillsborough Law”, named after the 1989 football stadium tragedy which resulted in the deaths of 97 people, by its next anniversary, which would introduce a statutory duty of candour on public servants during all forms of public inquiry and criminal investigation.
Having promised the legislation if Labour won power at its party conference two years ago, the prime minister will say it is “a law for Liverpool, a law for the 97, a law that people should never have needed to fight so hard to get – but that will be delivered by this Labour government”.
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Ministers have come in for criticism in recent weeks for their gloomy approach to the state of the economy and public services, already warning there will be a “painful” budget at the end of October to balance the books.
But during its annual conference, being held in Liverpool this year, the government has sought to inject some optimism into its outlook, rejecting a return to “austerity” and claiming to have “real ambition” for the future of the UK.
Taking a similar approach, Sir Keir will tell the gathered politicians and activists during his first conference speech as prime minister: “The politics of national renewal are collective. They involve a shared struggle.
“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.”
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Citing his missions for government, including raising living standards through higher economic growth, cutting waiting lists in the NHS, and making streets safer, he will say: “The truth is that if we take tough long-term decisions now, if we stick to the driving purpose behind everything we do… then that light at the end of this tunnel, that Britain that belongs to you, we get there much more quickly.”
But, Sir Keir will add: “It will be hard. That’s not rhetoric, it’s reality.
“It’s not just that financial black hole, the £22bn of unfunded spending commitments, concealed from our country by the Tories, it’s not just the societal black hole – our decimated public services leaving communities held together by little more than goodwill – it’s also the political black hole.
“Just because we all want low taxes and good public services, does not mean that the iron law of properly funding policies can be ignored.
“We have seen the damage that does, and I will not let that happen again. I will not let Tory economic recklessness hold back the working people of this country.”
However, Conservative Party chairman Richard Fuller hit back, saying: “Labour have only been in office for 81 days, but so far they have already shown the only interests they are serving are their own.
“From picking the pockets of pensioners to fund their union paymasters’ pay-rises, to their litany of ex-Labour staffer appointments in the civil service, Starmer’s government are clearly putting themselves first, the Labour Party second, and the country last.
“Rather than seeking national renewal, Starmer’s political decisions risk running the country into the ground.”
Nigel Farage has told Sky News he “can’t be pushed or bullied” by anybody after Elon Musk said the Reform MP “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead his party.
In an interview with Sky’s political correspondent Ali Fortescue, Mr Farage said he has spoken with the billionaire owner of X since his criticism on 5 January, when Mr Musk said: “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”
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Asked if the pair are still friends, Mr Farage said: “Of course we’re friends. He just says what he thinks at any moment in time.”
He added he has “been in touch” with Mr Musk, though wouldn’t divulge what they had discussed.
“Look, he said lots of supportive things. He said one thing that wasn’t supportive. I mean, that’s just the way it is,” Mr Farage said.
Musk and Farage met in December. Pic: PA
Asked if he was afraid to criticise the tech mogul, the Clacton MP said the situation was “the opposite”, and he openly disagreed with Mr Musk on his views on far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
Mr Farage said: “What he [Musk] was saying online was that effectively Tommy Robinson was a political prisoner and I wouldn’t go along with that.
“If I had gone along with that, he wouldn’t have put out a tweet that was against me.
“By the way, you know, I can’t be pushed or bullied or made to change by anybody.
“I stick to what I believe.”
Mr Musk has endorsed Robinson and claimed he was “telling the truth” about grooming gangs, writing on X: “Free Tommy Robinson”.
But Mr Farage said that Robinson, who is serving an 18-month jail term for contempt of court, isn’t welcome in Reform UK and neither are his supporters.
He said: “If people within Reform think Tommy Robinson should be a member of Reform and play a central role in Reform, that disagreement is absolutely fundamental.
“I’ve never wanted to work with people who were active in the BNP. I’ve made that clear right throughout the last decade of my on/off political career. So that’s what the point of difference is.”
Despite their disagreement, Mr Farage said he is confident Mr Musk will continue to support Reform and “may well” still give money to it.
The entrepreneur has previously spoken positively about Reform UK and there have been suggestions he could make a multi-million-pound donation in its favour.
Devolution plans ‘denial of democracy’
Mr Farage was speaking from Reform’s South East of England Conference, one of a series of regional events aimed at building up the party’s support base.
Elsewhere in the interview, he hit out at the Labour government’s devolution plans which could see some local elections scheduled for May postponed.
This would apply when councils seek permission to reorganise, so that smaller district authorities merge with other nearby ones to give them more sway over their area.
Mr Farage, who is hoping to make gains in the spring contests, claimed the plans are not about devolution but about “elections being cancelled”.
“I thought only dictators cancelled elections. This is unbelievable and devolution or a change to local government structures is being used as an excuse,” he said.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage earlier this month. Pic: PA
He claimed Tory-controlled councils are “grabbing it like it’s a life belt”, because they fear losing seats to Reform.
“It’s an absolute denial of democracy,” he added.
Mr Farage was also asked why many Reform members don’t like to speak on camera about why they support his party.
He said he did not accept there was a toxicity associated with Reform and claimed there was “institutional bias against anybody that isn’t left of centre”.
Specialist search teams, police dogs and divers have been dispatched to find two sisters who vanished in Aberdeen three days ago.
Eliza and Henrietta Huszti, both 32, were last seen on CCTV in the city’s Market Street at Victoria Bridge at about 2.12am on Tuesday.
The siblings were captured crossing the bridge and turning right onto a footpath next to the River Dee in the direction of Aberdeen Boat Club.
Henrietta Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Eliza Huszti. Pic: Police Scotland
Police Scotland has launched a major search and said it is carrying out “extensive inquires” in an effort to find the women.
Chief Inspector Darren Bruce said: “Local officers, led by specialist search advisors, are being assisted by resources including police dogs and our marine unit.”
Aberdeenshire Drone Services told Sky News it has offered to help in the search and is waiting to hear back from Police Scotland.
CCTV of the sisters. Pic: Police Scotland
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The sisters, from Aberdeen city centre, are described as slim with long brown hair.
Police said the Torry side of Victoria Bridge where the sisters were last seen contains many commercial and industrial units, with searches taking place in the vicinity.
The force urged businesses in and around the South Esplanade and Menzies Road area to review CCTV footage recorded in the early hours of Tuesday in case it captured anything of significance.
Drivers with relevant dashcam footage are also urged to come forward.
CI Bruce added: “We are continuing to speak to people who know Eliza and Henrietta and we urge anyone who has seen them or who has any information regarding their whereabouts to please contact 101.”
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