The problem for Keir Starmer
The Story
The Times
3.9 • 1.6K Ratings
🗓️ 6 October 2023
⏱️ 29 minutes
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Summary
If the polls are to be believed, Sir Keir Starmer is on track for a comfortable victory at the next general election – and just this morning, he has hailed a by-election win in the Glasgow seat of Rutherglen & Hamilton West as a "seismic result". But voters are less clear on what he and his party would do with power.
This weekend the Labour Party's annual conference – perhaps the last before the next election – kicks off in Liverpool. Amid accusations of flip-flopping and u-turns galore, our resident Labour watcher explains the key tensions in Starmer's thinking as he prepares for the most important speech of his leadership so far.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | We've just had the Tory party conference. This weekend, it's Labour's turn. |
| 0:07.0 | For Keir Stalmer, he begins conference on a high, set firmly, according to the polls, |
| 0:15.8 | on the path to glory. But are the polls right? There's one question that's haunted Stalmer |
| 0:22.2 | throughout his leadership. What does he actually stand for? |
| 0:27.1 | When you guarantee that under your leadership, the 2019 Labour commitments to nationalise |
| 0:32.1 | water, energy, rail, the Royal Mill, they'll all be in Labour's next election manifest. |
| 0:37.7 | I've made that commitment. Given that you've ditched policies such |
| 0:41.9 | as nationalised and energy companies, the policies that you won the Labour leadership |
| 0:46.2 | on, why should anyone believe anything you say anyway? Thank you. |
| 0:49.9 | Thanks for that question. Why not stick to that pledge to increase |
| 0:54.0 | income tax for the top 5% of earners? I mean, there are very important pledges I've made. |
| 0:59.0 | The vast majority of which stand. I do remember a Labour leadership candidate |
| 1:03.2 | called Keir Stalmer pledging to abolish tuition fees just three years ago. |
| 1:06.7 | What happened to that? Well, look, huge damage has been done to our economy. |
| 1:10.8 | I think he's a bit of a rat. I'm sorry. A rat? Why do you think a rat? |
| 1:14.5 | Because he's rusted on all his promises and his pledges just to get into power. |
| 1:20.6 | All of that has allowed Stalmer's opponents to frame him like this. |
| 1:26.6 | You just cannot know what you're going to get with him. |
| 1:29.4 | The only thing that is certain is that it won't be what he's promising you. |
| 1:35.5 | You're listening to stories of our times from the Times and the Sunday Times. |
| 1:40.0 | I'm Manvin Rana. |
| 1:42.1 | Today, the problem for Keir Stalmer. |
... |
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