PM Keir Starmer promises to protect public services and rules out austerity measures as the ruling party meets in Liverpool.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to protect public services and ruled out austerity measures as his Labour Party’s annual conference kicks off, its first in 15 years as a governing party.
The four-day gathering in northwest England’s Liverpool city that started on Sunday came almost three months after Labour secured a runaway general election victory over the Conservatives.
Under pressure over the government’s decision to limit winter fuel payments to the elderly and use donations for clothing and hospitality, the party will have to find a balance between celebrating Labour’s long-awaited victory, defending its record, and not letting up on reminders of “difficult decisions” to come.
Despite laying the groundwork for likely funding cuts and tax rises in the budget due at the end of October, Starmer told the Sunday Mirror newspaper that he would not go “down the road of austerity”.
He repeated his warning that he will do the “tough things first”, but also told the Observer newspaper he would “make sure that our public services are functioning properly”, and would shield working people from tax rises.
Losing popularity
The Labour conference brings a much-needed morale boost after a week dominated by negative headlines for Starmer.
An Opinium poll for the Observer ahead of the conference showed that Starmer’s approval rating had suffered a h …