PM steadies Labour with his vow to rebuild nation

Starmer pledges to face the storm’ from tough decisions

- DAVID MADDOX

Sir Keir Starmer steadied his party yesterday after a turbulent week for Labour and his leadership, reminding activists they have a mandate to reshape Britain in a simple rallying message: “We won.”

The prime minister pledged to “face the storm” from unpopular decisions and borrowed the Tory austerity language of David Cameron and George Osborne as he told the party’s annual conference in Liverpool – and the wider country – that “we’re all in this together”.

Set against criticism over winter fuel payment cuts for pensioners, gifts for him, his wife and his ministers, and a civil war in Downing Street, Sir Keir sought to silence doubters with a long-term vision. It came as:

• He prepared to fly to the UN amid crises in Ukraine and the Middle East

• He promised “homes for heroes” to help veterans get a place to live

• His justice secretary pledged to cut the number of women in prison

• He unveiled a Hillsborough Law to end the scandal of cover-ups

Despite an ovation from the crowd, Sir Keir was briefly interrupted by a pro-Palestinian protester angry about child deaths in Gaza – a timely reminder that he has not won over all of his critics. He will also be absent today when a union-led motion on winter fuel payment cuts will be debated on the floor of the conference.

But some senior ministers, led by chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden, have been urging Sir Keir to remind Labour it has earned the right to rule; it was advice the prime minister seems to have taken on board.