Starmer vows to make radicalism relevant to everyday lives

Keir Starmer has vowed to keep Labour’s “radical values” and make them “relevant to people’s everyday lives” if he wins the leadership contest that kicked off this week.

The frontrunner in the race, who is not considered a Corbynite but has not been an outspoken critic of the current leader either, will launch his campaign in Manchester on Saturday.

Commenting ahead of the speech, Starmer argued that Labour should “retain” its “radicalism”, adding: “People desperately need and want us to win.”

Labour’s Brexit spokesperson will be first visiting a food bank project in Oldham, which is represented in parliament by Jim McMahon who has nominated Starmer.

The leadership hopeful is then set to travel to the Mechanics Institute in Manchester for his first public members’ event, where Doreen Lawrence will introduce him.

The Mechanics Institute is the birthplace of the British Trade Union Congress – and with parliamentary nominations threshold reached, Starmer is looking ahead to the next stage of the process and seeking trade union support.

Speaking ahead of the event, Starmer said: “We have to rebuild people’s trust in Labour as a force for good and real change. We have to take the fight to the Tories and make the case for how our values and ideas can deliver the change Britain so desperately needs.”

His leadership campaign has not put forward any proposal for a change in direction or policy platform so far, but instead highlighted the need to rebuild trust.

On this subject and with a reminder of the upcoming local elections, Starmer said: “Our sights will be on every person in the UK whose support we need to win back. England, Scotland and Wales, in towns and cities alike. And in fighting this internal election we must not lose our focus on the elections this spring.”

Setting out in further detail his plans for beyond the Labour leadership election, the contender said: “If elected leader, I will pursue Boris Johnson relentlessly in parliament.

“We will connect our opposition in parliament to Labour’s mass movement and to the wider forces in our country who do not want five more years of Tory misrule. And we will bind that together with an electoral strategy that focuses tirelessly on getting Labour back into government.

“My campaign will be about defending Labour’s radical values and winning for the majority in 2024 – not either one without the other.”

Starmer has received 68 MP and MEP nominations – well over the necessary 22 needed to pass the first hurdle of the election process.

He has also won an early endorsement from large trade union UNISON, which suggests he could make it onto the ballot paper via the affiliates route.

All leadership candidates who reach the second step will need nominations from 5% of local parties or three affiliates, including two trade unions, making up 5% of the affiliate membership.