All Of Labour's Plans Announced In Keir Starmer's Speech
Keir Starmer delivering his conference speech in Liverpool
4 min read
Labour leader Keir Starmer delivered his keynote speech at the party conference in Liverpool on Tuesday afternoon, where he put forward his plan for the country to “get its future back”.
He said that there needs to be a “new approach to politics” that is “totally focussed on the interests of the working people”.
Here are all of the key points from Keir Starmer’s speech:
Reform in the NHS
Starmer promised more operations, appointments and diagnostic tests, and said that money raised by making those with non-dom status pay taxes could be used to help pay for it.
He said that Labour would get the NHS “working round the clock” and that they will “pay staff properly for it”, which would give a health service where you are “seen more quickly”.
Concerns about the health service regularly features in polling of voter priorities, and Starmer said that there is “no other option” but to bring in reforms.
He added: “We must be the government that finally transforms our NHS, we can’t go on like this with a sickness service.
“We need an NHS that prevents illness, keeps people healthy and out of hospital in the first place.”
“Bulldoze” through the “restrictive planning system”
Starmer said that the party “must bulldoze through” the “blockage” that is preventing housing and major infrastructure being built in a pledge to take on the “restrictive planning system”.
He also had a message for people who resist planning or development, and told them that the “future must be built”.
“If we continually wash our hands of this task, we all end up stuck in a rut, just like now.
“So it’s time to get Britain building again, it’s time to build one and a half million new homes across the country.”
He also promised the “next generation” of new towns without “tearing up the green belt”. However, he said that where there are areas of “grey belt” not green belt, such as disused car parks, “then this cannot be justified as a reason to hold our future back”.
Protecting workers' rights and working with private enterprise and a National Wealth Fund
Starmer pledged protections for workers, at the same time as praising the role of partnership with business. He said that a National Wealth Fund would get the private sector involved in the “rebuild” of the country, while helping to “share the rewards”.
He said that “private enterprise is the only way this country pays its way in the world” and also promised to scrap controversial practises such as zero-hour contracts and fire and rehire, and provide what he called a “real living wage”.
The Labour leader added: “We’ll set up a National Wealth Fund, work hand in glove with the private sector to rebuild this country.
“But as we share the risk, we must share the rewards, so we will make sure that the British people retain a stake in our investments.”
An industrial strategy to aid growth
Starmer told Labour conference that industrial policy is a “crucial part” of his plans for growth, and laid out his strategy.
As well as the National Wealth Fund, he said that “long-term stability” would attract new investment to former industrial heartlands, and an new approach to skills and training could help the potential of "the generation that sacrificed so much during the pandemic" with new colleges that will have strong links to the local economy of their area.
Scotland success will help Starmer into Number 10
After Michael Shanks’ victory for Labour in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election last week, Starmer told his party that Scotland can “lead the way to a Labour government.”
Last year in his party conference speech, he announced that the party would create Great British Energy, a publicly owned energy company that will generate power sustainably and they hope will deliver energy security.
Today, Starmer confirmed that it will be “based in Scotland,” a nation that has the “skills” and “ingenuity” for his plans, he said.
The General Election will be a “fight”
Starmer also warned campaigners of the “fight” ahead at the election, against both the Conservatives, and the SNP in Scotland.
He told delegates that “the challenge of change remains” but “old wounds exploited by the Tories and the SNP are beginning to heal.”
Following Labour’s victory in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election against the SNP last week, he said that the Scottish party will “regroup”.
“Once again they will wave away the lessons of history, try to present nationalism as a bridge to the world,” Starmer said.
He also described the Conservative Party as a party that is “prepared to scorch the earth just to get at us” and warned that they “will be dangerous”.
He told members and attendees at the conference that they should be “disciplined” and “focussed” and “ready to fight back.”
“Wherever you think the line is, they’ve already got plans to cross it,” he said.
“They’re always up for the fight to save their own skin.”
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