Labour figures, unions and groups react to Starmer’s 2021 conference speech

MPs and other figures in the labour movement have been reacting to Keir Starmer’s speech to the annual Labour Party conference in Brighton this afternoon, his first in-person conference since becoming leader.

“Today, the whole country saw the Keir Starmer that I know and the Keir Starmer that I work night and day to put into Number 10 so we can change people’s lives. We will deliver a Britain of good work, security for families, equality and a country where we take care of one another,” Angela Rayner tweeted.

GMB general secretary Gary Smith said Starmer was right to focus on education, but warned that “any extra cash must be spent in the right way, including recruiting and giving a pay rise to education’s forgotten army of school support staff”.

“Labour will never have a better opportunity because it’s clear this government is in panic, with no plan to tackle many crises facing the country, from jobs and pay to the cost of energy bills, and if Keir can lead the party forward with common purpose, then Labour can win,” he added.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “Today Keir set out a new vision for the party and a new vision for the country. With the focus on education, public services, rights at work and mental health, Labour is offering just what the country needs after 11 years of Tory mismanagement.

“Communities across the UK are struggling on so many levels. Keir’s speech shows that Labour in power could bring hope to the many families forgotten by this government. This is a serious plan for change.”

Rob MacGregor of Unite said: “If you’re a Unite member worried about the cost of living crisis, empty petrol pumps, abhorrent ‘fire and rehire’ in our workplaces and the end of furlough just hours away, there wasn’t much for you in this speech.”

The union’s national political lead added: “We needed to hear a Labour leader who is as angry as we are about the harm being done to our workers, and as determined as Unite to stand up against abusive employers. We’re clearly not there yet.”

Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said that Starmer showed that he has a serious plan for government today. He compared this to the Tory government, which he said is “pulling the rug from under low-paid families with an unfair cut in Universal Credit and increased National Insurance, as we face a looming cost of living crisis”.

Starmer declared that it would Labour’s “national mission” over the next decade to retrofit homes and introduce a Clean Air Act to combat the climate crisis. Shadow minister Anna McMorrin MP said it was “great to hear Keir Starmer ensuring the climate emergency is a priority”.

“Keir rightly brought attention to the cost-of-living crisis and Tory ineptitude. People from all walks of life are struggling and this is set to get worse as inflation rises, furlough ends and the government fiddles while Rome burns,” Manuel Cortes said.

The TSSA general secretary praised Starmer’s comments on climate change and the Labour pledge to invest £28bn in tackling the emergency. He said the green new deal pledged by the leader must not “become a conveyor belt for dividend payments made to private investors”, adding: “We want to see Labour put more emphasis on public ownership as part of this work.”

Ellie Reeves MP tweeted following the Labour leader’s address to the annual gathering, writing that she “could not be prouder that today in his speech Keir Starmer announced that rape cases will be fast tracked through the courts”.

Starmer highlighted the low level of successful prosecutions of rape today and told delegates that in government the party would fast-track rape and serious sexual assault cases, and toughen sentences for rapists, stalkers and domestic abusers.

Liz Kendall MP commended Starmer’s focus on “work, care, equality and security, and told her followers on Twitter: “Many of us have waited so very long to hear a speech like this. Labour is back in business.”

Socialist Campaign Group MP and shadow minister for buses and local transport Sam Tarry praised the Labour leader following the speech, saying: “Keir’s values are a strong foundation to build this future on.”

Hilary Benn MP described the speech today as “really impressive“, Tonia Antoniazzi MP called it “fantastic and inspiring“, Rosie Duffield MP dubbed it a “truly great speech”, while Toby Perkins MP said the speech is a test that the Labour leader had “passed with flying colours“.

“An optimistic and outward-looking speech from Keir Starmer today. Keir has deep rooted values to change our party and our country for the better. Fantastic!” Coventry North West MP Taiwo Owatemi tweeted.

Starmer referred to the 2019 general election defeat in his address to conference this afternoon, telling delegates that “we will never under my leadership go into an election with a manifesto that is not a serious plan for government”.

Tweeting shortly after, Jon Trickett MP wrote: “I sat through the whole meeting that agreed our 2019 manifesto. Just metres from Sir Keir Starmer. Every single policy was agreed unanimously. Just to spell it out, including by Sir Keir. I recall not a single peep of dissent from that direction.”

Following the speech, Momentum co-chair Andrew Scattergood said Starmer “identified a lot of problems but offered very few solutions” in his speech, adding: “We all know that the NHS crisis is bad – but what will our party do about it?”

“Throughout this conference members have voted overwhelmingly for transformative socialist policy – from a green new deal to a £15 an hour minimum wage. We are filling the ideas vacuum from below, and now we intend to push these policies in the Party and across the country,” he said.

IPPR head of economic justice George Dibb praised the approach from the Labour leader of “working in partnership with business for long-term success”, saying it could “help grow the economy and hard-wire it for fairness”.