Starmer slams “pathetic” Tory response to cost of living rise in Bury speech

Keir Starmer has slammed the Tory response to cost of living pressures as “pathetic” in a speech in the key area of Bury to launch Labour’s local elections campaign today.

Addressing a crowd in Bury, the Labour leader said his party was sending a message that “Britain deserves better” than the “pathetic” and “miserable” response to the cost-of-living crisis being offered by the Conservatives.

Drawing attention to Labour’s ‘new deal for working people‘, Starmer declared that his policies mean the P&O scandal – which saw 800 employees sacked with immediate effect over Zoom – “would not have happened under a Labour government”.

On his ambitions as Labour leader, he said: “I want Labour in power. Labour in power changing lives. And that’s what this election is about. The chance to have Labour councillors on your side changing lives.”

On May 5th, over 4,300 council seats across England including all of London will be up for grabs, plus mayors in six London authorities, the South Yorkshire mayor, 1,219 council seats in Scotland and 1,234 council seats in Wales.

Below is the full text of Keir Starmer’s speech launching the Labour local elections campaign in Bury today.

It’s absolutely fantastic to be here in Bury to launch our local election campaign right here in the sunshine this morning. That means that we’ve got exactly five weeks to send a message to Boris Johnson and his Tories that they can’t ignore. A message that Britain deserves better than their pathetic, their miserable response to the cost of living crisis.

So it’s fantastic to be here to start that campaign, and to start it with all of you. You know the reality. Prices through the roof, wages through the floor. Inflation higher than it’s been since, well, last time the Tories were in power.

And what’s their response with the cost of living crisis? Standards of living, the lowest since the 1950s. Tax, the highest for 70 years.

What’s their response to this? It’s to take more than they give. To take more so on average families this year are £2,620 worse off under these Tories. That is the cost of the Tories.

And it’s so frustrating. Because Britain has so much to be proud of. But we don’t have a government that is on the side of working people, that is on the side of businesses, that’s on the side of pensioners.

And that’s the difference with Labour. Labour is a party that is on your side. That takes your worries and your concerns seriously and has a plan, a plan for a better future, a better Britain. A practical plan that we can put into action.

My contract with the British people, the contract that I want to have on behalf of the Labour Party, a Labour government with the British people, is about the security that we need, the prosperity that we want, and the respect that everybody deserves.

Security is important. People at the moment feel they can’t pay their bills. They are worried. Tossing and turning at night about whether they can make ends meet. So we need the security of knowing you can pay your bills.

That’s why we have the windfall tax. A practical way to tax the oil and gas companies who have made profits they didn’t expect to make, and say use that money so that people can have up to £600 off their bills.

That’s what security looks like. The security of knowing that you are safe in your job. The scandal of P&O would not have happened under a Labour government. A scandal that would not have happened under our watch.

Angela Rayner has drawn up that Green Paper, a better deal for working people, and that’s what gives people that security at work.

And of course, security at home and in our communities. Too many people fear anti-social behaviour, fear crime, feel that they can’t go out of their doors after dark because they haven’t got a government that’s on their side.

We need prosperity. People want their ambitions and aspirations to be cherished and valued. To have the skills they need to go on in their lives, to do what they want to do. To have their businesses supported, their local economies thriving. That’s the prosperity that we need.

And then of course – respect. Probably the most important clause in my contract. Respect, deep respect for people. Whoever they are and wherever they come from.

So we need change. This is time for change. We need to get Britain back on track. I’m beyond proud and privileged to be leader of the Labour Party.

But I don’t want to be leader of the opposition. I want Labour in power. Labour in power changing lives. And that’s what this election is about. The chance to have Labour councillors on your side changing lives.

Eamonn O’Brien here, with Bury, making a real difference. Waking up every morning thinking: ‘how can I make things better for the families, the communities that I represent?’.

That’s the difference that Labour makes in power. That’s the difference of a Labour Party that is on your side. Fighting anti-social behaviour. Protecting public services. Actually having that ambition for a better Britain, excited about what we can do together.

So our message is very, very clear. Vote Labour on the 5th of May to send a message to the Tories about their pathetic response. Vote Labour on the 5th of May because Britain deserves better. Vote Labour because Britain deserves better for a party that is on your side.

Thank you so much.