Sir Keir Starmer asks voters to trust him to end 'Tory chaos' and protect national security

ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana analyses Starmer's keynote speech after the Labour leader criticised the Prime Minister's plan to introduce national service as a "teenage Dad's Army"

Sir Keir Starmer has said the General Election amounts to a choice about “whose side are you on” as he promised to stand up for working people and restore trust in British politics.

The Labour leader said 14 years of Conservative “chaos” had led to a “crisis” in the national culture.

In his first major speech of the campaign, he sought to persuade voters that he could be trusted to deliver economic stability and protect national security.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak responded to the speech by saying: “Our country needs bold action, not waffle.”

Here we take a look at some of the main points raised by the Labour leader during his first speech since the July 4 General Election was called.

Starmer's upbringing

One of the main points of Starmer's debut campaign trail speech was his upbringing in Surrey.

He discussed his family's fears surrounding paying the bills, his mother's battle with Still disease, and the inflation faced by families in the 1970's.

'Country first, party second': Starmer promises to 'fight' for working people, protect national security and restore trust in politics in his first speech since the General Election was called

Likening it to the current cost-of-living crisis, Starmer said: "I know what out of control inflation feels like, how the rising cost-of-living can make you scared of the postman coming down the path: “will he bring another bill we can’t afford?”

"We used to choose the phone bill because when it got cut off, it was always the easiest to do without. We didn’t have mobiles back then but you could still just about get on with it.

"Now, all this has stayed with me. It’s shaped the plan I have drawn up for Britain and the importance, above all, of economic stability. The need to never put working people through the whirlwind of chaos, the rising taxes, rising prices, rising mortgage costs - five thousand pounds for every working family - that’s what the Tories have inflicted on Britain."

Starmer hits back at 'Sir Sleepy' jibes

Sir Keir Starmer hit back at accusations he lacked the energy for the General Election campaign, saying he had been smiling since the start of the year at the prospect of a public vote.

Conservatives claimed on Sunday the Labour leader does not have the “stamina” to campaign, saying he had been “resting at home”, although pictures later emerged of Sir Keir meeting voters in Brighton.

In seeking to make 61-year-old Sir Keir’s age an issue and emulating Donald Trump's "Sleepy Joe" characterisation of Joe Biden, one Tory aide has reportedly described Sir Keir as “Sir Sleepy”, in contrast to the younger Rishi Sunak.

Starmer dismissed the claims as "desperate" when quizzed by ITV News Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana.

He said: “I’ve had a smile on my face since January 1 2024 because I knew this was going to be an election year.

“I’ve wasted nine years of my life in opposition. I’ve worked four-and-a-half years to change this Labour Party, and now I’ve got the chance to take that to the country.

“So we’re doing that not only with energy, but with a smile, with positivity across all of our candidates as we go into this election.”

Urging Netanyahu to stop attacks on Rafah

Benjamin Netanyahu’s offensive against Rafah must stop, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said.

Palestinian medics said Israeli air strikes killed at least 35 people on Sunday and hit tents for refugees who had fled to the city in southern Gaza.

Sir Keir, who has faced pressure within Labour to take a harder stance on Israel’s actions in Gaza, said the scenes were “horrifying”.

Asked what he would tell Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu if he were prime minister, the Labour leader said: “Stop."

On why voters should choose Labour

Speaking in Tory-held Lancing, West Sussex, he said: “Elections are about more than individual changes and policies, but about values, temperament, character and a bigger question: whose side are you on?

“Who do you hold in your mind’s eye when you are making decisions?

“Everything I have fought for has been shaped by my life, every change I have made to this party has been about a cause, the answer to that question, the only answer: The working people of this country delivering on their aspirations, earning their respect, serving their interests.”

Sir Keir acknowledged that despite Labour’s commanding opinion poll lead, many voters were not fully persuaded about his party.

“I know there are countless people who haven’t decided how they’ll vote in this election. They’re fed-up with the failure, chaos and division of the Tories, but they still have questions about us: has Labour changed enough? Do I trust them with my money, our borders, our security?

“My answer is yes, you can, because I have changed this party, permanently.”

On Sunak's proposals for mandatory national service

Sir Keir dismissed Rishi Sunak’s plan for a new form of compulsory national service as a “teenage Dad’s Army”.

He said the policy would be “paid for by cancelling levelling-up funding and money from tax avoidance that we would use to invest in our NHS”.

“All elections are a choice and this is a clear one: levelling-up and the NHS with Labour or more desperate chaos with the Tories.”

Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker has said the national service plan was “sprung” upon Tory candidates.

National service to become mandatory for all 18 year olds if Tories win, reports Political Correspondent Harry Horton

In an attack on the Tory record, Starmer said: “For a long time now, working people have believed opportunity in Britain is stacked against them.“But now we are at a dangerous new point, close to crossing a Rubicon of trust, not just in politics but in many of the institutions that are meant to serve and protect the British people.

“A moment where people no longer believe their values or interests carry the respect of those in power.

“When you put that alongside a government that over 14 years has left living standards in this country worse than when they found them, that has torched any semblance of standards in public life, Westminster parties that broke the rules they put in place to save lives and rules they expected you to follow but ignored themselves, then you get a crisis in nothing less than who we are as a nation.”

Have you heard our new podcast Talking Politics? Every week Tom, Robert and Anushka dig into the biggest issues dominating the political agenda…