Labour Party conferences over recent years have not been the happiest of environment's, but the party has ended this one in a buoyant mood. With the Tories under increasing pressure after their mini-budget caused economic volatility to say the least Labour looked to show itself as a serious party ready for government.
Sir Keir Starmer said he has shifted Labour to the political centre ground as he positioned himself to repeat Sir Tony Blair’s electoral success. The Labour leader, who served in Mr Corbyn’s top team, said the party was now offering “centre ground, common-sense politics”.
The party’s conference closed today in Liverpool with our colleagues at the ECHO describing the attendees being in high spirits as their party claimed a 17-point polling lead. In his keynote speech, Starmer announced that a Labour government would create a new, publicly owned British energy company, as well as unveiling plans to boost NHS nursing placements and implement a new 70% home ownership target.
READ MORE: Angela Rayner mocks PM Liz Truss for ‘crashing the pork market’
While the main conference hall is where Labour has outlined the spine of its policy offer this week, the fringe events have given party members the chance to add some meat to the bones. At the Hilton Hotel on Sunday, Labour's shadow rail minister Tan Desi Singh confirmed a Labour government would bring the country's rail network under public control.
People also packed out rooms to see Greater Manchester Mayor, Andy Burnham, call for Levelling Up and the need to invest in the north west's transport networks. Mr Burnham said: "Both Liverpool and Manchester are brilliant places to live and yet we’re not world class in transport. These are two cities that I think are the best places in England. Give us world class transport and there’ll be no holding us back."
The conference couldn't have come at a better time for Labour with news of economic crisis brought on by the Tories came through by the hour the ECHO reported a sense of calm and quiet confidence from Labour. The ECHO spoke to a group of A-Level politics students from Manchester who said they too believe it’s been a successful few days for the party, with one describing Starmer’s speech as “fantastic” and saying a “general election can’t come quick enough.”
MP for Ashton-under-Lyne and deputy leader, Angela Rayner, closed the conference with parting shots at Liz Truss's record only weeks into her governance. She pledged to give the “Tory sleaze merchants” their marching orders, vowing Labour would “rise to the moment” and “deliver for working people”.
People rose to their feet to applaud, some raising their fist in the air as the first chords of the Red Flag - the party’s long-time socialist anthem - rang through the main hall. Yesterday, Keir Starmer declared this is a “Labour moment” and the ECHO reports that from the feeling inside the conference hall, this may well be true.
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