Sir Keir Starmer has said he will take “no more lectures” from Nigel Farage, as he warned that the next four years will be “a fight for the soul of our country” against Reform UK.
In a speech setting out his vision of “national renewal” for Britain, the prime minister hit out at “snake oil merchants on the right, on the left”, and questioned whether Mr Farage and his party “genuinely love our country”.
Sir Keir also asked for “patience” as he implements the “change” he has promised, which comes after a challenging first 14 months in power, with Reform UK continuing to top the opinion polls, and dissent within his own party in the form of a series of interviews by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham criticising the direction of the government.
In an hour-long speech at the Labour Party conference, the prime minister declared that the UK is at “a fork in the road”, saying: “We can choose decency, or we can choose division; renewal or decline; a country proud of its values, in control of its future, or one that succumbs against the grain of our history to the politics of grievance. It is a test, a fight for the soul of our country.”
Sir Keir argued the “path of renewal” he wants to set the country on is “long”, and “requires decisions that are not cost-free or easy, decisions that will not always be comfortable for our party”. But the reward, he said, is “a new country, a fairer country, a land of dignity and respect”.
Analysis: Speech a success for PM – but biggest issue in UK politics ignored
He hit out at politicians who “tell you there’s a quick fix, a miracle cure, tax cuts that magically pay for…
