Lucy Powell says Labour is party of hope, optimism and change in conference speech

Labour members are currently gathering in Liverpool for the party’s annual conference. On the first day, delegates were addressed by the party’s deputy leader Lucy Powell.

Powell used her speech to set out what she sees as the central values of the Labour Party, and what it will seek to deliver in government following Andy Burnham’s ascent to Number 10 earlier this year.

“Our mission remains; hope and optimism”, Powell told the conference, before adding: “We believe that life can be better, that things need – and can – change. That’s what progressive politics has always been about. It’s why we are the party of hope.”

She would then go on to set out how – in her view – previous Labour government have delivered on this.

Powell said: “Out of the ruins of the Second World War, we didn’t accept that devastation meant we couldn’t be radical. Instead, our labour forefathers created our beloved NHS and the welfare state.

“In the 1960s, we didn’t accept that the white heat of technology was a threat, we saw it as an opportunity to give rise to huge social mobility and progress.

“And in the face of the Tory recession of the 1990s, we didn’t accept those who said that unemployment and low pay were a price worth paying, we introduced the national minimum wage, statutory maternity pay and the New Deal for young people.

“That’s what the Labour Party does.”

Powell continued by arguing that the record of Labour since they came to power in 2024 reflected this legacy. Reeling a list of policies the party had implemented, she told the hall: “You should take huge pride in what you have helped this Labour government to deliver:

“Free school meals for over 3 million children. Day one rights to sick pay for workers. Rail back into public control. And local buses too – one for Andy.

“We’ve ended exploitative zero hours contracts. We’ve lifted the two-child benefit cap, lifting half a million children out of poverty.

“Brought in the biggest social housing programme in a generation. Recognised the state of Palestine. Shown global leadership in Ukraine, and the Middle East and beyond.

“We’ve reset relations with Europe. We’ve reduced waiting times and recruited more teachers.

“Set up Great British energy and raced towards clean power. We’ve ended no fault evictions. Boosted pay for the lowest paid and cut VAT from energy bills.

“And – yes – conference, we’ve finally ended hereditary peers sitting in the House of Lords.”

However, she then conceded that the Labour Party’s strategy had to change. She said: “It’s no good anymore just diligently getting on with the job. We have to show purpose, underpinned by values.

“And that’s what Andy Burnham’s leadership is giving us – showing us the why, not just the what. Making and winning the big arguments. Leadership, purpose and values.”

Elsewhere in the speech, Powell laid into Nigel Farage and Reform UK, accusing Farage of being a “love child of Enoch Powell and Margaret Thatcher”.

She said: “Nigel Farage wants us to all blame immigrants for our country’s ills. He wants a race to the bottom on workers’ rights and deregulation. Especially for his Billionaire crypto mates. He believes in trickle-down economics, that never actually trickles down.

“Conference, he’s just a modern-day love child of Enoch Powell and Margaret Thatcher. And quite bizarrely, for someone who seems to hate foreigners so much, he really does love their money, doesn’t he?”

Chris Jarvis is head of strategy and development at Left Foot Forward