A minister at the Department for Education has an hour after Starmer’s conference speech complained that she has “no idea” when the government is meant to implement the pledge to get two-thirds of children to university OR ‘gold-standard’ apprenticeships. Scrapping a now-irrelevant Blairite target that no one had any idea was still in place..
Education minister Georgia Gould was asked at a Labour Conference event after Starmer’s speech whether there was a date for the policy. She responded: “I have no idea. I know as much as you do.” Good to see DFE was kept appropriately in the dark…
Gould also declined to specify if it was a pledge or an ambition. She did add that Jacqui Smith is a minister in both DFE and DWP so would be able to co-ordinate the execution of the pledge. See how that goes…
Fresh figures from Defence Science and Technology Laboratory show the MoD agency spent £430,000 on unused software licences under Labour. Under the “fruitless payments” section in the agency’s annual accounts for 2024-25, it explains:
“DSTL recorded fruitless payments this year totalling £430k, relating to duplicate and expiring software licence purchases.”
The agency’s role is “to maximise the impact of science and technology for the defence and security of the UK”. For £430,000, you could:
The taxpayer may have a view on which should be prioritised. UK DOGE recommends costs are cut here…
Farage has reacted to Starmer’s conference speech, accusing him and the rest of his Cabinet of “inciting violence” against his party. He says Starmer is “wholly unfit to be the the Prime Minister”…
Farage said:
“We will teach Starmer a lesson next May that British political history will never forget. I am now, as a result of this week and the abuse that has been heaped upon our supporters and voters, more determined than ever. Don’t underestimate that.”
Gloves are off…
Starmer is giving his conference speech. Hand crafted by the PM and his top aides, the key one of which is no longer in Downing Street…
He said: “Free speech is a British value… and Mister -“ before stopping himself and going on. Is Lindsay Hoyle in the audience…
Lobby hacks are otherwise showering Starmer with praise for his speech, which is already being written up as the crescendo of a mighty Labour Conference in which the PM batted away a Burnham challenge and delivered a few home truths to critics on his left and his right. See – it’s not that hard to write this guff..
Keir Starmer is on the main stage to deliver his Labour Conference speech. He’ll hit out at Farage (again) and argue that Britain stands at a “fork in the road”. He’ll say his fight against Farage “is a test. A fight for the soul of our country, every bit as big as rebuilding Britain after the war.” Okay…
He will also say that his plan to rebuild Britain will not be “cost-free”. Sigh…
Cabinet members in the front row are holding Union Jack flags. Sky News is reporting Andy Burnham has already left conference…
Starmer says the UK must “oppose racism” in the fight for the “soul of our country”. He then hits out at the “Brexit lies on the side of a bus”…
He claims Farage “doesn’t like Britain” before adding that this is a “great country”. He says you can cut taxes for the few while dismantling the infrastructure for the many…
Starmer defends the “hard choices” Labour made in the last budget, saying that fixing our public finances will be better for growth. He thanks businesses for their “contribution”…
Starmer says: “I think you know what my father did for a living….but then again do you? Do you know the craft and precision involved?” The audience laughs…
Starmer scraps Blair’s target to get 50% of children to university, instead replacing it with an ambition to get two thirds of children either doing apprenticeships or go to university.
The PM says: “Controlling migration is a reasonable goal. But if you throw bricks and smash up property that is thuggery. Free speech is a British value and we have guarded it. But if you incite racism and violence that’s criminal.”
On the upcoming budget, he says “tough decisions will keep on coming” and that “it doesn’t get easier from here”. Winter is coming…
Read his speech in full below:
Continue reading “LIVE: Starmer Gives Labour Conference Speech”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has slammed Starmer after Labour members voted in favour of a motion calling on the Prime Minister to recognise Israel as committing genocide. As well as urging Starmer to back a full arms embargo…
The Israeli ministry said:
“While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Donald Trump are working tirelessly in Washington to end the war in Gaza, the Labour Party chooses to embrace Hamas and fully adopt its lies, including the fake genocide campaign. The world stands with the US and Israel in their efforts to end the war. Labour stands with Hamas. It is a disgrace for Britain that this is the party in power.”
This comes after Trump said Starmer recognising Palestine is “rewarding Hamas“. Meanwhile, Trump and Netanyahu have agreed on a peace plan in Gaza – which includes Tony Blair. Starmer’s self-styled ‘international statesman’ image fading fast…
Paula Barker, Liverpool Wavertree MP backing Andy Burnham, told Times Radio there wouldn’t be trouble from the markets under Burnham:
“The markets will have to fall in line.”