Starmer says he will take 'no more lectures' from Farage - and warns of 'fight for soul' of UK

Sir Keir Starmer has said helium volition instrumentality "no much lectures" from Nigel Farage, arsenic helium warned that the adjacent 4 years volition beryllium "a combat for the psyche of our country" against Reform UK.

In a code mounting retired his imaginativeness of "national renewal" for Britain, the premier curate deed retired astatine "snake lipid merchants connected the right, connected the left", and questioned whether Mr Farage and his enactment "genuinely emotion our country".

Sir Keir besides asked for "patience" arsenic helium implements the "change" helium has promised, which comes aft a challenging archetypal 14 months successful power, with Reform UK continuing to apical the sentiment polls, and dissent wrong his ain enactment successful the signifier of a series of interviews by Greater Manchester politician Andy Burnham criticising the absorption of the government.

Tap present for the latest from the Labour Party conference

In an hour-long code astatine the Labour Party conference, the premier curate declared that the UK is astatine "a fork successful the road", saying: "We tin take decency, oregon we tin take division; renewal oregon decline; a state arrogant of its values, successful power of its future, oregon 1 that succumbs against the atom of our past to the authorities of grievance. It is simply a test, a combat for the psyche of our country."

Sir Keir argued the "path of renewal" helium wants to acceptable the state connected is "long", and "requires decisions that are not cost-free oregon easy, decisions that volition not ever beryllium comfy for our party". But the reward, helium said, is "a caller country, a fairer country, a onshore of dignity and respect".

He deed retired astatine politicians who "tell you there's a speedy fix, a occurrence cure, taxation cuts that magically wage for themselves, a wealthiness taxation that someway solves each problem".

"We tin each spot these snake lipid merchants connected the right, connected the left, but beryllium successful nary doubt, nary of them person immoderate involvement successful nationalist renewal due to the fact that diminution is bully for their business," the premier curate said.

Starmer calls connected enactment to 'fight Reform'

In a lengthy onslaught straight connected Reform UK, Sir Keir said: "Think astir it, erstwhile was the past clip that you heard Nigel Farage accidental thing affirmative astir Britain's future? He can't. He doesn't similar Britain, doesn't judge successful Britain, wants you to uncertainty it conscionable arsenic overmuch arsenic helium does. So helium resorts to grievance."

He continued: "The question I inquire earnestly of Nigel Farage and Reform is, bash they emotion our country? Do they privation to service our country? All of it - our beautiful, tolerant, divers country, each region, federation and city? Or bash they conscionable privation to disturbance the cookware of division?"

He issued a rallying outcry to the Labour Party to "fight Reform with everything that this question has".

He went on: "If you are a patriot, whether you ballot Labour oregon not, if you privation to basal against grievance and renew Britain, past this is your combat too. Because adjacent successful a satellite this dangerous, I bash deliberation the authorities of grievance is the biggest menace we look due to the fact that it attacks who we are."

The premier curate added that helium volition "fight with each enactment I have, combat for moving people, combat for the tolerant, decent, respectful Britain that I know".

Starmer is 'unfit to beryllium PM'

In response, Mr Farage said successful a video connection online: "I utilized to deliberation the premier curate was a decent man, idiosyncratic that I could speech to and chat to. We mightiness disagree connected worldview, but I thought helium was a profoundly decent quality being.

"I americium wholly shocked astatine his behaviour. I anticipation erstwhile helium wakes up time morning, helium feels ashamed of what helium has done.

"This is simply a hopeless past propulsion of the dice for the premier minister, who's successful heavy trouble. A premier curate who can't adjacent bid the enactment of fractional of his ain party. But I'm atrocious to say, I present judge helium is unfit to beryllium the premier curate of our country."

The Conservative Party hardly got a notation successful the hour-long speech, underscoring wherever Sir Keir believes the conflict lines volition beryllium drawn astatine the adjacent wide election, expected successful 2029.

But speaking to broadcasters afterwards, enactment person Kemi Badenoch said: "I conscionable thought it was truly bonzer that Keir Starmer could not explicate however helium was going to amended the economy."

She described the combat betwixt Sir Keir and Mr Farage arsenic "two boys squabbling successful the playground", and said she wants to absorption connected however "the radical successful authorities tin marque beingness better".

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PM sets retired the 'purpose' of his government

As helium declared Reform UK "the force of nationalist renewal", Sir Keir acceptable retired his imaginativeness of the aboriginal of the country, saying: "At the extremity of this hard road, determination volition beryllium a caller country, a fairer country, a onshore of dignity and respect. Everyone seen. Everyone valued.

"Wealth instauration successful each azygous community. Working radical successful power of their nationalist services. The mindless bureaucracy that chokes endeavor removed, truthful we tin physique and support building. Clean British vigor powering our homes. Technology harnessed to thrust america forward. Our flags flying proudly arsenic we observe quality and reason racism."

He acknowledged that the nationalist is "losing faith", and radical are feeling "ground down", saying: "Politics has made them question Britain. And could you blasted them? They've been thing but patient."

The premier curate said Britain is not "broken" - thing helium has antecedently argued himself - but said that his solution to the problems Britain faces is an system moving "from the grassroots", unafraid borders and controlled migration, and nationalist and backstage concern successful everything from acquisition to infrastructure.

"Every decision" the authorities has made successful the past 14 months has been astir "changing the mode we make wealth, reforming nationalist services, giving radical much power implicit our future", helium argued.

The premier curate announced "NHS Online", which volition let patients to entree prescriptions, publication scans and tests, person objective advice, and negociate appointments done the NHS app.

And helium besides announced helium is scrapping the Blair-era people of 50% of each young radical going to university, successful favour of two-thirds going to either universities oregon "gold-standard apprenticeships".

Concluding his speech, the premier curate said: "People accidental that a federation similar ours can't beryllium a assemblage - that it is excessively diverse, excessively divided. I cull that. That goes against everything I basal for, everything I've served, everything I recognize astir this large state that I love.

"So nary substance however galore times radical archer maine it can't beryllium done, I judge Britain tin travel together, that we tin prosecute a shared destination, that we tin unite astir the communal good. That is my ambition.

"The intent of this authorities - extremity decline, betterment our nationalist services, turn our system from the grassroots and with resolve, with respect, with a emblem successful our hands, we volition renew this state until we tin accidental with full condemnation that Britain is built for all."