Labour Conference: Starmer v Reform

Newscast

BBC

Politics, News

4.4 • 6.4K Ratings

🗓️ 27 September 2025

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today, the prime minister warned that Reform UK “will tear this country apart” ahead of the Labour party conference. Sir Keir Starmer said the conference would be an opportunity to show Labour's alternative to the "toxic divide and decline" offered by Nigel Farage’s party. But he faces mounting pressure, with polls showing Labour trailing Reform UK, alongside speculation that Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham could mount a leadership challenge. Laura and Paddy are joined by former pollster to Clinton, Blair and Mandela, Stan Greenberg, to discuss Starmer’s strategy.

He also explains in what direction he thinks the Democrat party should head. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers. You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord Get in touch with Newscast by emailing [email protected] or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480. New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. It was presented by Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O’Connell. It was made by Chris Flynn with Gabriel May. The social producer was Grace Braddock. The technical producer was James Piper. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The weekend series produced is Chris Flynn. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts.
0:05.7	So here we go. Saturday's newscasts where the Labour Party delegates are gathering in Liverpool and Laura,
0:11.6	you've had a bit of a journey with an important companion.
0:15.4	Life's a journey, eh, Paddy? Yes, I am in Liverpool and I was very lucky this morning
0:19.9	to get the train with the Prime Minister this morning. Not the whole way. He perthing didn't have to sit and talk to me for two and a bit hours. But we had a brief moment to speak to the Prime Minister this morning and I went to an event that he attended with some school children in Liverpool to mark the passing of the Hillsborough
0:37.7	law. Now, newscasters will remember what that is all about, something we've discussed on
0:42.0	lots of occasions. But what was very interesting, both in my conversation and what he said to
0:47.2	the kids this morning, was just how much this Labour conference is all about going after reform.
0:53.5	He even said this morning at that meeting with those kids, that reform would tear the country
0:59.6	apart.
1:01.0	I think it is a real sign of just how divisive they are and that their politics and their
1:07.8	policies will tear this country apart.
1:09.9	We are a proud country where
1:11.6	we bring people together and we're proud of our diversity. It is who we are. It is what it
1:18.2	is to be British that we are able to be reasonable, pragmatic, tolerant, live and let
1:25.7	live. And to tear away at that, we'll destroy our country.
1:30.3	I feel very, very strongly about this.
1:33.4	And I'm sorry that you're having to grow up.
1:35.1	And that's the backdrop that the Prime Minister himself is choosing to set for his own party conference,
1:41.0	which tells us a lot about this political moment that we are all in.
1:46.1	So we'll discuss if that's the right strategy, what to expect as the days unfold with
1:51.7	the legendary pollster Stan Greenberg in this Saturday edition of Newscast.
	...

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