Keir Starmer is telling undecided voters he has “permanently” changed Labour enough that voters can trust the party with their money, borders and security, in his first “keynote” speech of the general election.
Starmer is making a speech on bank holiday Monday morning in Lancing, in the battleground East Worthing and Shoreham seat in south-east England, saying he will always put “country first, party second” and telling voters: “I will fight for you.”
He will say that “economic security, border security, and national security” are the bedrock of the Labour party’s 2024 manifesto and recently published “first steps”.
You can watch a livestream of Starmer’s speech today below, and we’re add updates on the speech and Starmer’s subsequent media Q&A as it happens, so refresh this page for updates. We will also publish a transcript of the speech later on.
Watch live or back and see key highlights:
Here are some of the key highlights journalists are sharing from the event:
Starmer: “Whatever the polls say, I know there are countless people who haven’t decided how they’ll vote in this election…has Labour changed enough? Do I trust them with my money, our borders, our security.
My answer is yes you can, because I have changed this party,…— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) May 27, 2024
Starmer: “I am fed up of listening to the PM to tell you we have turned the corner. That is a form of disrespect in itself. Taxes – higher than at any time since the war. Chaos – hitting every working family to the tune of £5000”
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) May 27, 2024
KS: “This is my project – a Britain once more in the service of working people. Country first, party second…public service is the bare minimum you should expect. And you also deserve the security, the certainty, the basic ordinary hope, that Britain will be better for your…
— Beth Rigby (@BethRigby) May 27, 2024
Starmer on the cost of living crisis: “And I’ll tell you this, if you’re working class, you’re scared of debt.
“My mum and dad were scared of debt. So they would choose the bill that they wouldn’t pay rather than going into debt and they chose the phone bill.”
— Rachel Wearmouth (@REWearmouth) May 27, 2024
Not so different to Oxsted, says Starmer. “About as English as it gets. Red bricks and semis, rolling hills and pastures. You can make easy money clearing stones for the local farmers. A quiet uncomplaining resilience. The best of British, which is just as well, as you need it.”
— Matthew Holehouse (@mattholehouse) May 27, 2024
Starmer says Nat Service policy is symptomatic of govt policy churn. “Spinning around, a new election campaign every day.. a teenage dads army, funded by cancelling levelling up funding.”
— Matthew Holehouse (@mattholehouse) May 27, 2024
Labour leader contrasts him changing his party to Rishi Sunak – arguing Pm caves into party interests. Gives Rwanda policy as an example- saying PM didn’t believe in it.
— Anushka Asthana (@AnushkaAsthana) May 27, 2024
Read more of our 2024 general election coverage here.
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