After a somewhat bumpy start to his premiership, Keir Starmer tried to reclaim the narrative, acknowledging voters’ desire for hope and promising change was on the way.
Taking a page from the Democratic presidential ticket in the United States, Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday promised to bring joy back to everyday life in Britain, which he said was sorely lacking after a cost-of-living crisis and the strain of coping with the country’s run-down public services.
Mr. Starmer, who has been criticized for an unrelenting message of doom-and-gloom since his Labour Party swept into power in July, tried to channel his inner Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, sprinkling dollops of hope into his keynote speech to the party’s annual conference in Liverpool.
“I know that the cost-of-living crisis drew a veil over the joy and wonder in our lives, and that people want respite and relief,” Mr. Starmer declared to a warm crowd. “Because we do need joy, we do need that in our lives.”
It was a critical moment for Mr. Starmer, whose new government quickly ran into turbulence over unflattering disclosures about freebies given to Mr. Starmer and his wife, Victoria, as well as rumors of feuding inside 10 Downing Street.
The prime minister’s popularity has slumped and party members are restive, though political analysts say it made sense for him to emphasize the problems he inherited from the previous Conservative government.
Mr. Starmer did not signal any major shifts in policy. The government is still expected to roll out an eat-your-broccoli budget next month that will likely mix some tax increases with budget cuts to fill a hole in Britain’s public finances. But the prime minister said the belt tightening would result in a brighter future.
Share
Print
