Keir Starmer has said the state will “take back” more “control” of people’s lives – twisting the Brexit slogan and backtracking on his previous pledge to “tread more lightly” on people’s lives. The Telegraph has more.
In his first speech to the Labour conference since entering No. 10, the Prime Minister invoked the “take back control” slogan popularised during Brexit to warn about the impact of unfettered free markets and a small state.
Areas that he claimed would benefit from Government control included the NHS, energy, justice, education, the office and the economy.
Sir Keir said he was willing to be “unpopular”, saying the construction of more controversial pylons in the countryside and accepting asylum seekers were “trade offs” the public would have to accept.
His speech – which included the words “control” or “uncontrolled” 15 times – marked a stark contrast to his first speech as Prime Minister in July, in which he told the public he would “tread more lightly on your lives”.
Sir Keir told party delegates in Liverpool: “Now don’t get me wrong – markets are dynamic. Competition is a vital life force in our economy. This is a Labour Party proud to say that. We work hand-in-hand with business.
“But markets don’t give you control – that is almost literally their point. So if you want a country with more control, if you want the great forces that affect your community to be better managed – whether that’s migration, climate change, law and order, or security at work – then that does need more decisive Government, and that is a Labour Government.
“Taking back control is a Labour argument.”
The phrase “take back control”, used by the Vote Leave campaign as it won the referendum to exit the European Union, may mark an attempt to connect with Reform U.K. voters disillusioned by the Tories’ failure to deliver on past immigration promises.
Sir Keir said in his speech that he had “always accepted concerns about immigration are legitimate”, insisting: “I have never thought we should be relaxed about some sectors importing labour when there are millions of young people, ambitious and highly talented, who are desperate to work and contribute to their community.”
However, he claimed that to tackle illegal migration, the same process “will also grant some people asylum”. He warned that another “trade-off” the public faced in return for cheap electricity was “new pylons overground, otherwise the burden on taxpayers is too much”.
Worth reading in full.
Stop Press: Starmer has been humiliated by Labour members at the party conference this morning as they voted in favour a union-led motion to oppose the winter fuel allowance cut.
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