Labour sells 'Sparkle with Starmer' t-shirts after protester covers him in glitter

The Labour Party is selling t-shirts labelled 'Sparkle with Starmer' after the party's leader was showered in glitter by a protester on Tuesday.

Sir Keir's speech at the party's conference in Liverpool was interrupted by Yaz Ashmawi from People Demand Democracy, who stormed the stage shouting "politics needs an update".

In emails circulated by Team Labour less than 24 hours later, the novelty t-shirt was described as "exclusive, limited edition merchandise" after the speech's "glittering reception".

Still covered in glitter after the interruption on Tuesday, Sir Keir kicked off his keynote speech by saying: "If he thinks that bothers me, he doesn't know me.

"Protest or power. That's why we changed our party conference. That's why we changed our party."

With a price tag of £20, Labour said the money from the t-shirt sales will help "fuel our campaign to deliver the next Labour government."

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Speaking to broadcasters on Wednesday morning, the final day of the party's annual conference, Sir Keir acknowledged the situation could have been "a lot worse".

The Labour leader said he was determined to push on with his address rather than let an “idiot” disrupt his pitch to become the next prime minister. Sir Keir told Times Radio “my overwhelming feeling was ‘I am not going to let you ruin four years of hard work in this party’”. “I just wanted to get on with the speech and that’s why I rolled up my sleeves and got on with it,” he added. “I didn’t want that idiot to interrupt that and I don’t want that idiot to dominate what I’ve got to say today.” Labour will face scrutiny over its security operation for the Labour leader, who said he checked his wife, Victoria, who was in the front row of the conference hall, was alright before he continued with his speech covered in remnants of glitter.

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