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Home , Anneliese Dodds, Dan Hodges, Jess Phillips, Jonathan Ashworth, Keir Starmer, Labour Party Conference

STARMER DRAWS A LINE CONFERENCE REVIEW | September 2020 LABOUR PARTY LABOUR LEADER LOOKS TO MAKE A CLEAN BREAK WITH THE CORBYN YEARS AT VIRTUAL PARTY CONFERENCE

Tuesday’s keynote speech by Leader Sir marked a clear turning point in the party’s direction and political positioning. “This is a party under new leadership” he declared, as he gave his first major set piece pitch to the nation. The message was clear: Labour is changing, and Starmer wants to win.

It was an overwhelmingly political speech, stopping short of any major policy announcements. Under the conference strapline of ‘A New Leadership’, the shadow Leader sought to draw a dividing line between himself and the Prime Minister, as well as between the current Labour Leader and his immediate predecessor. Labour, he said, had deserved to lose the last election. It was time to “get serious about winning”.

Reasserting Labour’s key attack lines against , Starmer was scathing about the Government’s record, arguing that their ineptitude is “holding Britain back” and that they have lost control of the coronavirus crisis. Hammering the message home, he accused the Government of “serial incompetence” and attacked their record on public services: “For a party called the Conservative Party, they don’t seem to conserve very much.”

Keir Starmer also turned his fire on the Prime Minister himself, attacking him for not being “serious” and arguing he is “not up to the job”. In a sign of where Labour will seek to draw dividing lines in the months to come, he drew stark parallels between himself and Boris Johnson. “While Boris Johnson was writing flippant columns about bendy bananas, was defending victims and prosecuting terrorists”, he said, adding: “While he was being sacked by a newspaper for making up quotes, I was fighting for justice and the rule of law”. We can expect to see these comparisons reiterated in Labour’s narrative over the coming months.

Starmer also used his speech as an opportunity to distance himself from the Corbyn years, saying that “when you lose an election in a democracy, you deserve to” and “we have to change, and that’s what we’re doing”. He reflected on his promise to “root out the that has infected our party” and committed again to rooting it out “once and for all”. In a sign of the internal challenges that remain within Labour, the Corbyn-supporting group hit back, arguing that the Leader’s focus should be on “solidarity with the working class”, rather than “empty slogans”.

All in all, it was an assured 25-minute speech, designed to set out Starmer’s vision and values, whilst positioning the Labour Leader as a credible alternative to Boris Johnson, and demonstrating that the party really is under new management. Conference in the time of Covid Key quotes

It’s fair to say this is not how Starmer would have envisaged making his first conference “Never again will Labour go into an election not speech as Leader of the Labour Party. His address to an online audience, against the being trusted on national security, with your backdrop of the Danum gallery, library and museum in , could not have been job, with your community and with your money. further from the packed hall at the Centre where ’s every other That’s what being under new leadership means.” line was cheered by thousands of members this time last year. Sir Keir Starmer, Labour

But the alternative format did allow him to make a symbolic point: Doncaster’s two “We will be campaigning on three economic Labour MPs clung on at last year’s election, but the area is now surrounded by blue priorities. Jobs, jobs, jobs. We will speak with seats – including the nearby Don Valley, represented by a Conservative for the first time one voice as one labour movement.” in its 100-year history. Starmer’s message to traditionally Labour areas like Doncaster is: , Deputy Leader ‘We hear you, and things have changed. Take another look at Labour.’ “As Chancellor, I would restore that trust with business. Because I understand what a Cheering crowds at party conference do not always translate into electoral success, critical role business plays in creating jobs and as Labour experienced most recently at the 2019 election. Starmer is more likely to be supporting livelihoods across the country.” worried about the extent to which his words cut through to the public. Party conference , Shadow Chancellor is one of the truly agenda-setting moments for a party out of power; an opportunity to dominate the airwaves and beam your message out to voters. “This pandemic has exposed a fundamental truth about the condition of Britain. Ten years But this year’s Covid-stricken event was largely overshadowed by the UK’s surging of Tory rule left Britain weaker and exposed coronavirus rates, and the news – briefed to the media just hours before Starmer to a pandemic at the very time when thanks took to his feet – that severe new restrictions to people’s freedom were about to be to , pandemics are becoming reimposed. With virtually no policy announcements of significance, it’s unclear whether more likely not less.” this virtual event will have done enough to really connect Labour’s new leadership with , Shadow Health Secretary the public.

EDELMAN | SOUTHSIDE | 105 VICTORIA STREET | SW1e 6QT | www.edelman.co.uk | 020 3047 2177 | @edelmanuk 1 EDELMAN | SOUTHSIDE|105VICTORIA STREET|SW1e 6QTLondon|www.edelman.co.uk |020 30472177|@edelmanuk Labour isaseriousalternative underhisleadership. unquestionable hitintheeyesof voters,Starmer nowneedstoprove that Opposition woulddoinpower. TheGovernment’scredibility hastaken an from thisconference’s agenda,thepublicdon’tyetknowwhat the answers aswellcriticisms.However, withpolicycommitmentsabsent workers andrebuild business–wasdesignedtoshowLabourhassome three-point plantorevive theUK’seconomy–recover jobs,retrain to criticisethangovern.ShadowChancellorAnnelieseDodds’ over coronavirus isreal, thepublicalsorecognise that itismucheasier Starmer willbeconsciousthat whilefrustration withtheGovernment responding toproblems eitherby“wishing[them]away”or“lashingout”. character, heaccusedhimof lackingtheseriousnessrequired tolead, an actof God”,hesaid.Inahighlypersonalattack onthePrimeMinister’s to school.Asecondlockdown wouldbe“a signof Governmentfailure, not with testingandPPE,wastedpublicfundsafailure togetchildren back slowing Britain’seconomicrecovery, heclaimed,pointingtoproblems conference speech.TheGovernment’sincompetenceoncoronavirus is changed markedly –andhewasunforgiving onthistopicinhiskeynote Government’s handlingof thecrisishasgraduallyfallenaway, histone party politicstoonesideinthenational interest. Aspublicsupportfor the to present LabourasaconstructiveOppositionthat wasprepared toput When thepandemicbeganearlierthisyear, Starmer wentoutof hisway Coronavirus Party at thistime.Suchpositiveengagementonsomanyareas, withsuchclearbuy-infrom theLabourfrontbench, setsawelcomenewdirection. turn intherelationship. Even onthebigthornierissues,suchasnationalisation, spokespeople were clearthat adialogueisimportanttotheLabour It’s evidentthat theLabourPartyunderKeir Starmer are nowkeen toconstructivelyengagewithbusiness,andthat thisBusinessForummarks the Shadow Frontbench. Miliband. Theagendafeatured anumberof roundtable discussionstocomplementthesepanels,whichwere attended byvariousmembersof the off withaQ&A Keir Starmer, andalsoincludedpaneleventswithShadowChancellorAnneliese Dodds, andShadowBusinessSecretary Ed discussions onarangeof topicsincludingBrexit, therecovery from coronavirus, andindustrialstrategy, (amongstothers).Theprogramme kicked Labour thisweekconductedawide-rangingoutreach programme withthebusinesscommunity. Thethree-day virtualBusinessForumfeatured What was Labour’s message tobusiness? reaction 2:00 PM·22Sep2020 unimpeachable justification for that. of course,covidprovides anincidentally now non-threatening!” coverage.And, speech getswillbehispreferred “Labour: ensures that what littlecoveragehis By nottalkingaboutpolicyat all,Starmer 10:01 AM·22Sep2020 our country. nothing underminestrust,hopeandruins test oraschoolthat’s open)anddelivering the world,orevenjustbasics(like a say things.Therecklessness of promising is theideathat youhave todelivernotjust For methebestthingaboutKeir’s speech Political Editor, @stephenkb Office Minister Shadow Home @jessphillips Jess PhillipsMP

well worthsaying. combination of blindinglyobviousand about twodecadesback.Anunusual is askingnow, nottheonesyoucared want toaddress thequestionscountry winning’s betterthanlosing2) you might Quite goodthis.Radicalideasinclude1) 09:38 AM·22Sep 2020 9:38 AM·22Sep2020 work pays. a decentjobandguaranteethat hard families want-achancetogetoninlife, proves he’s intouchwithwhat working Great speechby #LabourConnected Resolution Foundation Chief Executive, @TorstenBell Torsten Bell of theTUC General Secretary @FrancesOGrady Frances O’Grady @Keir_Starmer reach a deal with Brussels, the next big decision the Leader of the reach adealwithBrussels,thenextbigdecisionLeaderof the leaves theEUwithoutadeal.IfPrimeMinistermanagesto the Governmenttoaccountifitfailsliveupitspromises and Leave-Remain divideonlyhurtsus.Butwewillcontinuetohold At thisconference, hismessagewasclear: isdone,andthe second referendum onBrexit, withanoptiontoremain intheEU. Corbyn byannouncingtoconference that Labourwould backa It seemsanageago(itwasinfacttwoyears)that Starmer upstaged between Leave andRemain“isover”. to handleBrexit istogooutandgetadeal,hesaid.Thedebate same withhisownformer positiononBrexit. The“grown-up way” the lineunderCorbyneraare matched byhisefforts todothe “a partythat keeps bangingonaboutEurope”. Hisattempts todraw conference 14 years ago, Starmer insistedthat Labourwouldnot be In anunlikely nodtoDavid Cameron’s speechtohisownparty Brexit put its split over Europe behind it. put itssplitoverEurope behindit. as incompetent.There issomewaystilltogobefore thepartycan a dealnegotiated byaPrimeMinisterhehasrepeatedly dismissed understands theirconcerns,buthewillbewaryof waving through for it.Heiskeen toshowBrexit-backing heartlandsthat Labour Opposition willhave tomake iswhetherornotLabourshouldvote

Keir Keir 09:36 AM·22Sep2020 have aproper fightontheirhandsnow. Very, verystrong from Starmer. TheTories 11:31 AM·22Sep2020 he getsthere. power andthenabandonhispromises once politician who’llsaywhat isneededtowin show he’samanof hisword, notacareerist to winthiscountry’sconfidence, hemust is nowaytowinbacktrust.IfStarmer wants Breaking your promises toyourelectorate Mail onSunday Political Commentator, @DPJHodges Dan Hodges Momentum Co-Chair of @AJScattergood Andrew Scattergood

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