PM defends his 'unpopular' decisions like winter fuel payment cut in first conference speech as PM

ITV News' Political Editor Robert Peston and Deputy Political Editor Anushka Asthana are in Liverpool for day three of the Labour Party Conference

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has defended the "unpopular decisions" his government has taken, promising to "rebuild our public services".

Addressing Labour Party Conference for the first time since he became prime minister, Starmer acknowledged the mounting tension around his decision to scrap the winter fuel allowance.

"If you can't take that [promise] on good faith, perhaps because you're concerned about the winter fuel allowance, then I get that", he said.

"If this path were popular or easy we would have walked it already", Starmer told delegates in Liverpool.

Despite the winter fuel allowance cut meaning ten million pensioners will lose £200 to 300 pounds a year, Starmer insisted his government will protect pensioners with the triple-lock, ensuring that "every pensioner will be better off with Labour."

The PM unveiled a new policy in his speech, announcing the government will provide social housing for "all veterans in housing need."

The government will lift the need for veterans to have a local connection to an area in order to access social housing there.

"Homes will be there for heroes," the PM said.

The policy will also apply to care leavers and victims of domestic abuse, meaning that along with veterans they will be able to apply for social housing “in any part of the country.”

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Current rules only exempt veterans from the need for a local connection for five years after leaving the armed forces, but over 80% of homeless veterans who are referred for support left the forces more than five years ago.

Starmer also announced his government will bring in a Hillsborough Law before the next anniversary of the tragedy in April.

The new legislation, which was in the Labour manifesto, will introduce a legal "duty of candour" on public bodies, with the potential for criminal sanctions for officials or organisations which mislead or obstruct investigations.

The PM described the new legislation as "a law that people should never have needed to fight so hard to get, but that will be delivered by this Labour Government."

Welfare fraudsters will also be dealt with faster under new legislation expected to save the taxpayer £1.6 billion over the next five years, the prime minister announced.

Starmer promised to “leave no stone unturned” as his government seeks to “rebuild our public services”.

The prime minister also used his speech to announce plans for wider welfare reform to help get people back into work, with details to be unveiled later this year.

Starmer told the audience in Liverpool: “We will get the welfare bill down, because we will tackle long-term sickness and get people back to work."

Starmer promised delegates there's "light at the end of the tunnel" for British people, marking a change from the more negative messaging from the government around the state of the country.

"This is a long term project, but the work of change has begun", he told the conference.

The speech didn't run as smoothly as the prime minister might have hoped, as he was heckled by a protester, who could be heard shouting "children of Gaza".

In response to the heckler, the PM replied: "This guy has obviously got a pass from the 2019 conference."

The prime minister called for "restraint and de-escalation at the border between Lebanon and Israel". He also called for an "immediate ceasefire in Gaza".

Starmer also mixed up his words at one point in his address, referring to hostages as "sausages".

The prime minister also confirmed that GB Energy, the new publicly owned energy company will be based in Aberdeen.

"Today, I can confirm that the future of British energy will be powered as it has been for decades, by the talent and skills of the working people in the Granite City with GB Energy based in Aberdeen", he revealed.

Former Tory minister and current leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat said Starmer made a "complete hash" of his speech.

"That was a banger of a speech but he can’t even cook up a decent line", he said.

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