Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer hopes to win support in the East with plan for education and jobs

• Watch Sir Keir Starmer's interview with ITV News Anglia's Political Correspondent Emma Hutchinson

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has told ITV News Anglia that his priority is an "absolute focus" on the challenges of coming out of the pandemic.

Labour has just five MPs in the East of England and some people we spoke to have expressed concerns that they don't know what he stands for.

Speaking to ITV News Anglia's Political Correspondent Emma Hutchinson ahead of the Labour Party Conference, Sir Keir said he was listening to voters concerns.

Setting out his main objectives, Sir Keir said: "Absolute focus on the challenges coming out of covid.

"Education and the recovery that we need for children badly affected during covid.

"Jobs, and particularly the next generation jobs, high quality, high skilled jobs.

"Health and mental health combined and brought together in one plan.

"And security both at work and at home."

Sir Keir has published a 12,000 word essay explaining what he stands for, but said it was all based on conversations with voters.

"The essay I've written wasn't written in the abstract," he said. "I was in Ipswich for two or three days earlier this year.

"What I've written is a reflection of those conversations, so the voters I'm trying to persuade will see their fingerprints on what I've written."

Sir Keir stressed that he didn't want any more lockdowns, but said he would take a more cautious approach than the Government.

"I was critical of the Government earlier in the year for not taking a more cautious approach to unlocking," he said.

"We have to make sure we don't go back to restrictions, back into lockdown if we possibly can, but that means being cautious.

"We've advocated some pretty common sense things such as masks in enclosed areas, we've also been arguing for a long time for more ventilation in schools.

"The Government's got to explain why those measures aren't being taken."