Labour lost ground to Reform and the Green Party in last week’s local elections.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has just given a “major speech,” as reported on by BBC News.
The Labour leader spoke in an official capacity for the first time since his party’s disappointing results in last week’s local elections, in which they lost ground to Reform UK and the Green Party.
In total, Labour lost 1,400 representatives from English councils, and failed to maintain control of Wales’ devolved Senedd government for the first time in a generation.
Starmer has faced a public challenge to his leadership from backbench MP Catherine West, who challenged cabinet ministers to begin talks over appointing a successor.
West’s calls have been backed by the Labour MP Oldham East and Saddleworth Debbie Abrahams.
Abrahams constituency, once a Labour heartland, saw a rise in support for Reform last week, prompting her to tell the Guardian: “We have to recognise the dangers that we’re in now, that on this trajectory it doesn’t look good.”
On when there should be a change in leadership, the MP told the outlet: “I think it is a matter of months.”
Parts of Starmer’s speech have already been shared by Downing Street, as quoted by the BBC.
Everything Starmer said in today’s national address:
The Prime Minister began his remarks by admitting that the results were, “tough, very tough,” before adding he took full responsibility for the setback.
Remarks from his speech have been published from quotes reported on in the BBC and the Guardian.
“It is about taking responsibility to explain how as a political force we will be better, and do better, in the months and years ahead.”
On the losses to Reform and the Green Party, the Labour leader added: “We are not just facing dangerous times. But dangerous opponents, very dangerous opponents.
He then said: “If we don’t get this right, our country will go down a very dark path.”
“I take responsibility for delivering the change that we promised.”
“I take responsibility for not walking away, not plunging our country into chaos, as the Tories did time and again, chaos that did lasting damage to this country.
“A Labour government would never be forgiven for inflicting that on our country again.”
The Prime Minister then discussed the fact that a growing group of MPs have called on him to set out a timeline for a departure, saying: “Some people are frustrated with me.
“I know I need to prove them wrong and I will.”
“Let me start on a personal note. Like every prime minister, I’ve learned a lot in the first two years in the job in terms of the policy challenges that our country faces.
“Incremental change won’t cut it.
“On growth, defence, Europe, energy, we need a bigger response than we anticipated in 2024 because these are not ordinary times, and this is a political challenge just as much as it’s a policy challenge. Delivery is of course essential, but it’s not sufficient on its own to address the frustration that voters feel.
“We’re battling Reform and the Greens.
“But at a deeper level, we’re battling the despair on which they [play on], despair that they exploit and amplify. And so analysis matters. Argument matters.
“But so too does emotion. Stories beat spreadsheets. People need hope.”
He then promised his party will “face up to the big challenges”, and “make the big arguments”.
On mistakes Labour have made over the past two years of government, he said: “Of course, like every government, we’ve made mistakes,” before making clear his belief that: “We got the big political choices right. I mean, if we’d listened to the advice of other parties, right now, we’d be stuck in a stand-off with Iran, having been dragged into a war that is not in our interest – and I will never do that.”
Starmer told those in attendance that Labour have made advancements on stabilising the economy, and that progress has been made on bringing down NHS waiting lists.
“NHS waiting lists are coming down. Child poverty is coming down, immigration is coming down and we are rebuilding from the ground up.
“They were the right calls and most of all we stabilised the economy.
“The fundamentals are sound and that matters because it puts us in a much better place to come out of the conflict in Iran, stronger and fairer, and for living standards to improve.
He then admitted: “That’s not enough, clearly,” adding that further “change cannot come quickly enough.”
The Prime Minister spoke in depth on his own personal connections to the change needed in British society, through his own family’s experiences.
He said: “Truth be told, I’m not sure that [people] believe that we care. I’m not sure they believe that we see their lives.
“That’s tough to say when you come from a working class background like me.
“It’s hard to hear that because I do know what it’s like to struggle and to strive.
“But what I take from it is that I spent too much time talking about what I am doing for working people, and not enough time talking about why or who I stand for.
“Because I can see how hard life has been during these decades of crisis. I can see that very clearly.
“My late brother Nick spent all his adult life going from one job to the next. The status quo did not work for him.
“My sister is a carer, working long hours on low pay year after year after year. She didn’t even get sick pay in the pandemic. The status quo did not work for her.
“For too long we’ve ignored people like that and there are millions of people in that boat, millions of people who don’t get the dignity, the respect, the chance that they deserve to go as far as their talent and effort should take them.”
The first big step for Starmer’s government will be in the formal process of nationalising the British Steel industry, announced by Starmer in today’s speech.
Starmer said: “Steel is the ultimate sovereign capability. Strong nations in a world like this need to make steel. That’s why we’re backing steel in Port Talbot and across the UK.
“But in Scunthorpe we’ve been negotiating with the current owner and a commercial sale has not been possible. And now a public interest test could be met.
“So I can announce that legislation will be brought forward this week to give the government powers, subject to that public interest test, to take full national ownership of British Steel. Public ownership in the public interest.
The Labour leader also made clear his intentions to bring the UK closer in its relationship with the EU, in contrast to the vision of the nation he says would be perused under a Reform UK government.
On Reform and Nigel Farage, he said: “I need to take a bit of a detour on this because I want to remind you what Nigel Farage said about Brexit.
“He said it would make us richer. Wrong. It made us poorer.
“He said it would reduce migration. Wrong. Migration went through the roof.
“He said it would make us more secure. Wrong again. It made us weaker.
“He took Britain for a ride and, unlike the Tories [who] actually at least have to face up to it, he just fled the scene and now he’ll talk about almost anything other than the consequences of the one policy he actually delivered.
“Because he’s not just a grifter, he is a chancer.”
Then, on plans to bring the UK closer to the EU, Starmer added: “At the next EU summit, I will set a new direction for Britain.
“The last government was defined by breaking our relationship with Europe. This Labour government will be defined by rebuilding our relationship with Europe, by putting Britain at the heart of Europe.
“So we are stronger on the economy, stronger on trade, stronger on defence.
“Because standing shoulder to shoulder with the countries that most share our interests, our values and our enemies, that is the right choice for Britain. That is the Labour choice.
“And for our young people also something more, because Brexit snatched away their ability to work, to study and to live easily in Europe.
“That’s why I’m proud we restored the Erasmus scheme.
“But I want to go further. I want to make a better offer for our young people, restore that hope, that freedom, that sense of possibility.
“And so I want an ambitious youth experience scheme to be at the heart of our new arrangement with the EU, so that our young people can work and study and live in Europe, a symbol of a stronger relationship and a fairer future with our closest allies. That is the Labour choice.”
Another significant area of change in the coming months will come via plans he set out on families and communities.
Starmer laid out: “We will go much further on our investment in apprenticeships, in technical excellence, colleges in special educational needs.
“We will make sure that every young person struggling to find a job will get a guaranteed offer of a job training or work placement.”
The final part of his speech featured plans to block “far-right agitators” from attending a march this Saturday.
After the conclusion of his speech, Starmer was asked questions on the potential return of Manchetser mayor Andy Burnham to Westminster.
He responded: “In relation to Andy Burnham, obviously, any future decision is for the NEC and he’s doing a great job as mayor in Manchester and I actually work really well with Andy.”
You can watch Starmer’s speech in full here:
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