Labour MPs gather in Liverpool as Starmer mounts fightback against Reform

Labour MPs are gathering successful Liverpool for the yearly enactment league arsenic Sir Keir Starmer attempts to equine a fightback against dire polling and threats to his leadership.

The premier curate said helium volition usage the four-day lawsuit to amusement Labour tin beryllium an alternate to the "toxic disagreement and decline" offered by Reform UK, describing this arsenic "the combat of our times".

Sir Keir is nether unit aft 2 abstracted polls predicted Nigel Farage's enactment will triumph the adjacent wide election arsenic voters crook their backs connected mainstream politics.

It is the latest spot of atrocious quality for the embattled premier minister, who has faced a period of scandals surrounding his apical squad alongside speculation Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham could equine a enactment challenge.

Speaking from the league venue connected Saturday night, Sir Keir said the adjacent fewer days are a "really large accidental to marque our lawsuit to the country, marque it perfectly wide that patriotic nationalist renewal is the mode forward, not the toxic disagreement and diminution that we get with Reform".

He aboriginal insisted helium could "pull things around", telling The Sunday Times: "It is the combat of our times and we've each got to beryllium successful it together. We don't person clip for introspection, we don't person clip for navel-gazing.

"You'll ever get a spot of that astatine a Labour Party conference, but that is not going to lick the problems that look this country.

"Once you admit the alteration - successful the consciousness of the part that Reform would bring to our state and the shattering of what we are arsenic a patriotic state - past you realise this is simply a combat which successful the extremity is bigger than the Labour Party."

Much of the adjacent 4 days is apt to beryllium dominated by discussions connected however precisely Labour could bushed Reform - and whether Sir Keir is the antheral for the job.

PM's aboriginal successful doubt

There has been rampant speculation Mr Burnham could equine a enactment situation aft helium made a bid of high-profile interventions this week, criticising the absorption of the authorities and claiming Labour MPs had asked him to stand.

The so-called "King of the North" has galore hurdles to flooded earlier that could beryllium a anticipation - helium would person to triumph a spot successful Westminster done a by-election if 1 became available, past get 80 colleagues to backmost him.

One MP told Sky News that tons of backbenchers are "reluctantly coming to the conclusion" that Sir Keir's downfall is simply a "not a substance of if, but when" - citing Mr Burnham oregon Health Secretary Wes Streeting arsenic imaginable replacements

However they stressed that they did not privation to spot the premier curate spell and anticipation helium tin crook things astir up of the section elections successful May.

Two-child payment headdress speculation

Many MPs privation the premier curate to usage the league to acceptable retired a affirmative imaginativeness that offers anticipation for the aboriginal - saying his rhetoric connected "tough choices" during the archetypal 12 months backfired with the public.

The brag of Unite, Labour's biggest national funder, has threatened to interruption its nexus with the enactment unless it changes direction.

In a awesome the enactment is listening, determination person been hints from elder ministers that the authorities could usage the league to scrap the arguable two-child payment cap.

The bounds is opposed by implicit 100 Labour MPs, some of Labour's deputy enactment candidates and different elder enactment figures specified arsenic Mr Burnham and erstwhile premier curate Gordon Brown.

Two MPs who were suspended for rebelling implicit the measurement past twelvemonth - John McDonnell and Aspana Begum - had the whip reinstated connected Friday.

Mr McDonnell, the shadiness chancellor nether Jeremy Corbyn, said helium hopes "this is simply a awesome the authorities has decided to scrap the cap".

Key announcements

Sir Keir's allies rallied circular him up of the conference, with Business Secretary Peter Kyle claiming the premier curate received a "rapturous reception" astatine events helium has been speaking astatine connected Saturday.

Sir Keir volition code the league connected Tuesday but determination volition beryllium speeches from furniture ministers passim the event, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves to talk connected Monday.

The opening time volition footwear disconnected with a pledge from Housing Secretary Steve Reed to conception 3 caller towns earlier the adjacent election, successful Tempsford successful Bedfordshire, Leeds South Bank, and Crews Hill, northbound London.

In 1 of a fig of announcements overnight, the authorities besides said that it volition underwrite a £1.5bn indebtedness warrant to Jaguar Land Rover arsenic it continues to look a shutdown pursuing a wide cyber attack.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Rachel Reeves told The Times she is pushing for a caller younker mobility strategy and an improved trading narration with the European Union successful a bid to trim the request for taxation rises successful the forthcoming budget.

And Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood signalled a large alteration successful migration policy, telling The Sun connected Sunday she would "reset" migration laws truthful foreigners indispensable beryllium their societal worthy earlier being allowed to settee successful Britain.