London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 08, 2026

Labour conference: Starmer to quote Tony Blair in pitch for power

Labour conference: Starmer to quote Tony Blair in pitch for power

Labour is back in the centre ground of British politics and ready to offer the country a "fresh start" under his leadership, Sir Keir Starmer will say.

In his speech to his party's annual conference, Sir Keir will claim to have transformed Labour into a party in tune with the majority of voters.

He will accuse the government of losing control of the economy.

And he will quote predecessor Sir Tony Blair, who once described Labour as the "political wing of the British people".

Mr Blair was the last Labour leader to win a majority at a general election.

His name has been out of favour in left wing circles in recent years - but Sir Keir hopes to emulate him at the next general election by ejecting a long-serving Conservative government from power.

Labour's conference has been overshadowed by economic turmoil, as the markets reacted to Conservative Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng's plan to borrow billions to fund tax cuts.

In his speech, Sir Keir will say: "What we've seen from the government in the past few days has no precedent.

"They've lost control of the British economy - and for what? For tax cuts for the richest 1% in our society."


'Fight the Tories'


Sir Keir's strategy to boost growth includes a green prosperity plan to create a million new jobs in towns and cities across the country.

He will pledge to bring down energy bills, raise living standards and tackle the climate crisis, within 100 days of forming a government.

And he will tell delegates in Liverpool he is ready to "fight the Tories on economic growth" with a plan to "turn the UK into a growth superpower" by investing heavily in green energy projects.

Sir Keir will argue "we cannot afford to miss out" on the opportunity to lead the world in renewable energy, electric vehicles and harnessing new hydrogen power.

He will also claim that Labour is now the party of "sound money".


'Fresh start'


A Labour spokesman said echoing Sir Tony Blair is an intentional move to show that Labour is "back in the centre ground" and in the "mainstream" of public opinion.

"Ultimately he wants to be the next Labour leader who takes the party from opposition into government," the spokesman said.

In his speech, Sir Keir will cite the respectful tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II at the start of the conference on Sunday, as an example of how much the party has changed since he took over in 2019.

Some Labour delegates were unhappy about Sir Keir's decision to lead a chorus of God Save the King but criticism from the left of the party has so far been more muted than last year, when Sir Keir was heckled during his keynote speech.

In this year's speech, Sir Keir will declare that Labour will get the UK "out of this endless cycle of crisis with a fresh start, a new set of priorities and a new way of governing".

"We should never be left cowering in a brace position, worrying about how to get through a winter. It's time for Britain to stand tall again," he will say.

Sir Keir has pledged to reverse the abolition of the top rate of tax income, but would keep the chancellor's reduction of the bottom rate to 19p in the pound.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has said her fiscal rules set out that increased borrowing is permitted during national emergencies.


Labour: National anthem sung in tribute to Queen


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Business Rate Reform and Productivity Support
UK Farmers Warn Dry Summer Could Reduce Crop Yields and Push Up Food Prices
UK Rail Networks Hit by Widespread Delays After Major Signalling Failures
Matt Clifford Resigns as ARIA Chair After Conflict-of-Interest Scrutiny
UK and France Say Joint Border Operations Have Prevented More Than 48,000 Irregular Channel Crossings
UK Core Inflation Remains Above Expectations as Utility and Commodity Costs Stay Elevated
Jaguar Land Rover Considers Up to 4,000 UK Job Cuts Amid Automotive Industry Pressure
UK Government Pauses Local Authority Reorganisation for Legal Review
UK Public Borrowing Reaches £1.8 Billion in July, Adding Pressure Before Autumn Budget
Chancellor John Healey Puts Regional Devolution and Fiscal Discipline at Heart of UK Growth Plan
Counter-Terrorism Police Lead Salford Investigation After Two Teenagers Charged
UK Rejects Financial Reparations for Transatlantic Slavery
UK and Egypt Step Up Diplomacy Over Escalating West Bank Tensions
UK Pauses Council Reorganisation Across Four English Counties
Jaguar Land Rover Plans 4,000 Job Cuts in Major UK Restructuring
UK Unveils Planning and Regulatory Overhaul to Speed Infrastructure and Economic Growth
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Innovation Campus
Families Give Evidence to Independent Review of Sussex Maternity Failures
Sweden Confirms Deportation of 458 British Citizens Over Post-Brexit Residency Rules
UK Launches £3 Million Challenge for Long-Duration Energy Storage
Reform UK Proposes £100 Billion in Spending Cuts and Brownfield Deregulation
Andy Burnham Warns Macron That EU Procurement Rules Could Hurt British Steel
Andy Burnham Faces Major Decision on Future North Sea Oil and Gas Drilling
SEND Support in England Projected to Reach One in 10 Pupils
England’s Housing Courts Struggle With Surge in No-Fault Eviction Cases
Violent Clashes Erupt in Portsmouth During Protest Against Asylum Processing
Three-Quarters of NHS Emergency Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
UK Considers Converting Female Prison Space for Male Inmates as Overcrowding Worsens
UK House Prices Record First Annual Decline in Nearly Three Years
UK Government Reassesses Policy Toward Israel Amid Calls for Diplomatic Shift
Reform UK Faces Police Scrutiny Over Alleged Foreign Donations Scheme
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus
Online Bookmakers Accused of Privacy Breaches Through Cookie Consent Practices
Health Campaigners Urge UK Government to Abandon U.S. Pharmaceutical Agreement
Three-Quarters of UK A&E Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
Far-Right Demonstrations Target Portsmouth as Small-Boat Crossings Fuel Tensions
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record After Severe Heatwaves
UK Travellers Face Renewed EU Border Delays as Temporary Flexibility Ends
UK Rejects Calls to Pause AI Data Centre Expansion Despite Energy Concerns
UK Defence Figures Push for 3% Spending Target Amid Falklands Concerns
England Faces Rising Financial Pressure as Special Educational Needs Plans Surge
Metropolitan Police Consider Reform UK Probe Over Overseas Donations
Keir Starmer to Leave Parliament, Triggering By-Election
UK Treasury Weighs Windfall Taxes on Banks and Oil Companies Amid Bond Market Turmoil
Jaguar Land Rover to Cut Thousands of Jobs as UK Government Rules Out Bailout
OpenAI Unveils GPT-6 and Says: "We May Already Have Reached AGI"
Congressman Accused Andrew of Sex Crimes in the United States
Donald Trump: "I'm Glad Harry and Meghan Left the United States"
Spicy Food Is Linked to Lower Death Risk — but It Is Not a Miracle Cure
AfD Enters Saxony-Anhalt Election at 41% in Historic Test for German Politics
×