The Labour leader promised to set up Great British Energy in its first year of government
Labour leader Keir Starmer has used his keynote conference speech to set out how his party will be on the side of ordinary workers, promising to establish a publicly owned energy firm, Great British Energy, in its first year of government.
He made the announcement as he set out Labour’s offer to the country, as he promised clear leadership and a pledge to stand on the side of working people.
Promising to provide the country with the leadership it so desperately needs, Starmer said it would be “a new company that takes advantage of the opportunities in clean British power and because it’s right for jobs, because it’s right for growth, because it’s right for energy independence from tyrants like [Vladimir] Putin”.
The Labour leader took aim once more at the failures of trickle down economics, while also promising to increase home ownership to up to 70%.
He also tore into the Tories’ record and said: “They used to lecture us about fixing the roof when the sun was shining.
“But take a look around Britain, they haven’t just failed to fix the roof, they’ve ripped out the foundations, smashed through the windows and now they’ve blown the doors off for good measure.”
He also told voters that he would deliver the higher wages and greater control that they voted for.
“If you voted for a government … on your side, for better work, higher wages, more opportunities in your community, for an NHS that is reliable, if you voted to take control of your life, and for the next generation to have control of their lives … I will deliver.”
Starmer also reaffirmed the party’s commitment to NATO and reminded the party of the scale of the challenge when he first took over. He received a standing ovation when he said he had a “big task” to make Labour “fit to serve our country”.
“That’s why we had to rip out antisemitism by its roots. Why we had to show our support for Nato is non-negotiable. Show we want business to prosper, shed unworkable policies”
He also once more reiterated Labour’s pledge to increase the NHS workforce and said he wondered “how many lives are at risk this winter”, and added that he has been told by a doctor that the NHS is not just on its knees, it’s “face down on the floor.”
Starmer concluded the speech by saying that this was a Labour moment, saying that Labour was a party of the centre ground.
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