A Labour government would “take back control”, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told his party conference this week, in words that pointedly echoed the Conservative Brexiteers’ campaign slogan. “Control” was definitely not what the Tories had, he was suggesting, of an economy which the government of Liz Truss nearly crashed, leaving rising national debt and what Labour said was a £22 billion “black hole” in the public finances.
There has been little time to draw breath since Labour’s landslide July election victory, with euphoria replaced by a more sombre reflection on the challenge of governing. Labour’s conference came after rows flared over withdrawal of winter fuel payments to pensioners, revelations over gifts of clothes to leaders, and evidence of factionalism in the heart of Number 10 Downing Street. Not to mention summer riots over immigration.
Starmer’s task was to cast eyes forward to the possibilities of a brighter, wealthier Britain, to engender optimism while reminding members to be patient and accept that the price of its own sunlit uplands would be unpopular decisions – “trade-offs” – to repair Britain. New homes, for example, would require radical planning reform and quite possibly unwelcome housing estates in the back yards of some voters.
Trust me, he pleaded with delegates, and things will get better. He said he knew that people wanted “respite and relief” but urged his party to stick to his reform plan: “Then that light at the end of the tunnel, that Britain that belongs to you – we’ll get there much more quickly.”
The Outrun: Saoirse Ronan gives a forceful performance as an alcoholic in white-knuckle recovery
Niamh O’Sullivan: ‘I am obsessed with singing. I couldn’t imagine myself doing anything else’
I’ll never forget the day I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s. I’ll never forget that feeling of utter hopelessness
Wagamama closure: Meat Loaf’s drummer would do anything for lunch, but he won’t be dining at shuttered Dublin branch
But that trust will have to be earned urgently from an electorate whose faith in the whole political class has been deeply shaken. Actions speak louder than words, and delivery in Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ first much-anticipated budget next month will be the first key test. Reeves will have to demonstrate a willingness, hinted at this week, to tweak the UK’s rigid fiscal rules to allow higher capital investment that can drive the growth that Starmer is depending on – as well as making the tough decisions hinted at by Starmer.