Sir Keir Starmer has delivered a make-or-break speech in an attempt to avert a leadership challenge after a disastrous set of local election results. The Prime Minister appeared before the country at 10am on Monday, 11 May.
The Prime Minister is trying to convince Labour Party MPs to back him after Thursday’s election losses. At 12.30pm, one of Starmer's biggest rivals for leadership, Angela Rayner, the former deputy PM, is due to speak at the CWU conference in Bournemouth.
Around lunchtime, Catherine West, the former minister, is expected to give her response to the Starmer speech. If she is not persuaded he can turn things around, she will formally start the process of trying to get the 81 names she needs to launch a leadership challenge.
No Resignation
Starmer told the press conference: "I know I have my doubters and I know I need to prove them wrong, and I will do so." He went on: "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."
He added: "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."
Warning Over Nigel Farage and Zack Polanski
Starmer says neither Nigel Farage nor Zack Polanski offer "the serious, progressive leadership that these times demand". He says Labour has made mistakes. But other parties would have dragged the UK into war with Iran, he says. Defending Labour's record, he added: "NHS waiting lists are coming down. Child poverty is coming down, immigration is coming down and we are rebuilding from the ground up."
British Steel to Be Nationalised
Legislation to nationalise British Steel will be brought forward this week in the King's Speech on Wednesday, Starmer said. Speaking about how the UK can "take control of our economic security", the PM says: "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."
He added: "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."
EU Youth Scheme
Starmer announced that a "youth experience scheme will be at the heart of our new arrangement with the EU". He said: "For our young people... Brexit snatched away their ability to work, to study and to live easily in Europe. I am proud we restored Eurasmus, but I want to go further, I want to make a better offer for our young people."
Andy Burnham Return
Starmer said he has "set out a direction" he needs to take. Starmer said he works "well" with Andy Burnham, amid claims he could return to Parliament. Starmer said: "We need a bigger response than 2024." He went on: "Andy, I work really well with Andy. He is doing a great job as Mayor of Greater Manchester. Any future decision is for the NEC."
Stepping Aside
When asked by Beth Rigby, from Sky, over whether he'd entertain stepping away, the PM defended himself and said he wouldn't inflict "chaos" on the country. "Working people paid the price, Labour won't inflict that on our country," he said.
Returning to his vision of the Labour Party, the prime minister concluded his speech saying: "This is nothing less than a battle for the soul of our nation, and I want to be crystal clear about how we will win it, because we cannot win as a weaker version of Reform or the Greens. We can only win as a stronger version of Labour, a mainstream party of power, not protest."
Far-Right
The prime minister announced the government will "block far-right agitators from travelling to Britain" for an event being held on Saturday. He explains: "Other parties will draw different lessons. In fact, they already are. They want more grievance politics, more division, more pointing at Britain's problems, looking not for solutions, but for someone to blame."
Starmer continues: "That is why this Labour government will block far-right agitators from travelling to Britain for that event, because we will not allow people to come to the UK to threaten our communities and spread hate on our streets."
