Keir Starmer puts Boris Johnson 'on notice' in conference speech marred by hecklers

'Has Keir Starmer done enough?': Libby Wiener reports from Brighton

Sir Keir Starmer has told Boris Johnson to "get out the way and let us clear up this mess", as he delivered his speech at the Labour Party conference.

The Labour leader said he was putting the prime minister "on notice" when setting out his vision for the UK, as he attacked the government for a "fuel crisis, a pay crisis, a goods crisis and a cost of living crisis" - all happening "at the same time".

But his speech was marred by numerous hecklers who shouted "shame" and complained about Brexit.

One person shouted "£15" - a reference to Andy McDonald's resignation from the shadow cabinet during conference, attacking the leader for his refusal to back a minimum wage increase above £10.

But Sir Keir hit back, saying "this time on a Wednesday [at Prime Minister's Questions] it's normally Tories that are heckling me - doesn’t bother me then, doesn’t bother me now."

The conference in Brighton this week has seen a divide in Labour exposed, with many members still loyal to former leader Jeremy Corbyn, who had the Labour whip removed over his response to a report on anti-Semitism within the party.

But sources have suggested Sir Keir was keen to use the conference to demonstrate "the way the party has changed" since he took over from Mr Corbyn.

In what will be seen as a swipe at former leader, in his speech Sir Keir said: "We will never under my leadership go into an election with a manifesto that is not a serious plan for government."

He added: "It will not take another election defeat for the Labour party to become an alternative government in which you can trust."

Referencing his move to change leadership election rules this week, a shift that many say will ensure a Corbyn-style politician could never again lead the Labour Party, he said: "That's why it has been so important to get our own house in order this week and we have done that."

It was an emotional speech, with members of the crowd visibly moved as they listened to Sir Keir's anecdotes of working with murder victims.

Sir Keir on crime

After speaking of his work to prosecute the killers of Stephen Lawrence, Sir Keir outlined his plan to be tough on crime.

After being introduced on stage by Stephen's mother Doreen, he said Labour would "strengthen legal protections for victims of crime", will tackle record levels of knife crime and reduce anti-social behaviour.

He added: "We will fast-track rape and serious sexual assault cases and we will toughen sentences for rapists, stalkers and domestic abusers."

The plan for education:

Sir Keir said another priority for Labour was to repair the education system "to ensure that every child emerges from school ready for work".

His party would launch “the most ambitious school improvement plan in a generation”.

It would involve a new "curriculum for tomorrow”, with digital skills considered key.

He said: “We need to ensure that every child emerges from school ready for work, and ready for life.

“As in health, so too in education we can work by the light of new technology. Machine learning can cater for individual work styles.

“Artificial intelligence can help tuition, especially for students with special needs.”

He said: “When you don’t invest in young people a whole nation suffers and the less fortunate are left behind.”

Sir Keir said the coronavirus pandemic had shown “you can’t trust the Tories with the education of our children”.

Labour's plan for healthcare:

On healthcare, the Holborn and St Pancras MP said his ambition is to shift the priority for the NHS away from emergency care to prevention in order to make Britain “the healthiest nation on earth”.

The Labour leader said the NHS needs to be properly funded but it also needs to change so that it can deal with an ageing public, adding: “I want Britain to be the healthiest nation on earth.

“We would shift the priority in the NHS away from emergency care, towards prevention.

“With every pound spent on your behalf we would expect the Treasury to weigh not just its effect on national income but, also, its effect on well-being.”He said Labour’s health policy would also tackle mental ill health, describing it as “one of the urgent needs of our time”.

“Labour will guarantee that support will be available in less than a month,” he said.

Starmer on the economy

Sir Keir attempted to change the belief that Labour could not “run a strong economy”.

The Labour leader said that the “dream of the good society” could not be achieved without a strong grip of the country’s finances.

Applying the idea to climate change, he said the economy should be shifted on to a “sustainable path” and said Labour would back this with public funding.

He said: “If only we funded science seriously we could make a historic contribution to the battle against climate change. Action is needed not in the future, but now.

“This urgency is why Labour will bring forward a green new deal, our green new deal will include a climate investment pledge to put us back on track to cut the substantial majority of emissions this decade.”

He said Labour must “win trust that we will create a strong economy”, warning “the public finances we will inherit will need serious repair work”.

“The economic inheritance from the Tories will be appalling: A botched Brexit followed by Covid has left a big hole,” he added.

“The Government is learning that it is not enough to Get Brexit Done. You need a plan to Make Brexit Work.”

What did the hecklers say?

Labour activist Carole Vincent, one of those who heckled Sir Keir Starmer, said she expected him to face a leadership challenge before the next party conference.

“I don’t consider it to be heckling, I consider that I stood up and spoke out because it needed to be said,” she told the PA news agency.

“He had ignored – and this conference has ignored – people that have been standing up and asking for him to guarantee the 15% rise for the NHS, a £15 minimum wage.

“You can’t live in many major cities – not just London but other cities – on the wages that people get.”

She said she expected to be thrown out of the party for her actions, adding: “He had 10 pledges. He has reneged on most of those pledges. He talked about uniting the party. The party has never been so divided as it is now and it’s getting worse.

“I probably will be expelled and that’s sad because I work bloody hard for this party. I don’t get paid for it, it’s because on my membership card it says this is a party of socialist democrats, it’s a socialist democratic party and that’s why I joined – so we all have a voice and we haven’t had a voice.

“I think there will be a (leadership) challenge at some point, I’m not sure who will do it.”