Labour Party Conference: battle cry against the right
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer committed Labour members to a clear government course at the party's annual conference in Liverpool on Tuesday. The focus was on economic renewal, social reforms - and a sharp demarcation from Nigel Farage's right-wing populist Reform UK, which currently has a big lead against Labour in the polls. Commentators take stock.
PM in combative mode
The Independent likens Starmer's rousing speech at the party conference to the words and style of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill:
“His speech at the Labour Party conference was one of the most remarkable he has delivered. Time and again, there were distinct echoes of the rhetoric, if not the growly gravitas or charisma, of Churchill. ... He talked of 'going into battle' with Farage, vowing that he would never 'surrender the flag' to Reform. There were so many union flags and flags of St George waved by ministers and delegates in the conference hall, obeying a diktat from Labour aides, it looked like a VE Day celebration. ... Starmer's Churchill tribute act should be enough to keep his Labour enemies at bay - for now.”
Headed for the next debate over direction
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung doubts that Starmer has really succeeded in striking a liberating blow:
“Voters often decide less on the basis of grand narratives than tangible achievements: can illegal migration be pushed back? Will NHS waiting times be reduced? Will inflation go down? Will the government present a united front? And short-term successes are unlikely. Instead, the upcoming budget negotiations and election of the deputy leader could lead to another debate over Labour's course.”
Boosting Farage's credibility
The British prime minister's new strategy is risky, says The Times:
“Sir Keir made a risky decision in promoting Mr Farage as his arch enemy. By dismissing the Conservatives, who merited barely a mention in his speech, he boosted Reform's credibility, tacitly admitting that it had become a force to be reckoned with, and not merely a temporary receptacle for popular discontent. Sir Keir's hope is that however much voters may nod along with Mr Farage on immigration, they will ultimately balk at the prospect of him in No 10. The danger is, however, that every mention from him of Reform will lend credence to Mr Farage's claim, once outlandish, that he is indeed leading a government in waiting.”