Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer declared “the fire of change still burns in Britain” and “lives on in Labour” as he made a bold case for leading the country on a raft of promises designed to appeal to working class voters.
In a rousing speech at the party's conference in Liverpool, the man hoping to oust Rishi Sunak from No 10 Downing Street pledged to propel the economy on a path of high growth, build 1.5 million homes, including new towns, and a national health service "crowdfunded" by all for the benefit of all.
He promoted himself as the man who could "heal" the UK and despite being doused in glitter by a protester after he took to the stage, the former lawyer brushed off the incident "brilliantly" as one MP put it.
He suggested he was aiming for at least two terms in office by laying out a plan for 10 years.
The National was in the packed auditorium on Tuesday afternoon to witness what many believe could have been the Labour leader's final conference speech before the next general election, expected in 2024.
A Labour councillor from South London commented that there is “so much momentum” in the party these days compared to recent years.
Mr Starmer's success in addressing issues in the party since he succeeded Jeremy Corbyn in 2020 was clear.
One of the biggest rounds of applause came when Mr Starmer declared he had “ripped anti-Semitism out by the root”.
Members of the Labour Friends for Israel leapt to their feet to give the leader a standing ovation and show their strong support for his efforts to clear out Jew-hatred from the opposition party.
Mr Starmer’s unwavering support for Israel as it reels from massive terror attack by Hamas drew another round of clapping.
The reaction he received was a sign of the relief in the Labour Party that the days of the anti-Semitism scandal are in the distant past and the UK’s support for its ally Israel would not change if Labour came to power.
Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Batley and Spen, said Mr Starmer handled the glitter incident “brilliantly”.
“It didn’t affect the mood in the room, if anything it enhanced it,” she told The National. “I personally would have went with the glitter from the start but he chose to take his jacket off.
“Keir is a professional. The atmosphere in here was electric. He nailed it.”
She singled out his “holistic approach” to health care and well-being, two causes close to her heart, and said his desire to give more power back to communities would resonate with voters.
“It’s that sense of hope and that sense of compassion which we just haven’t seen from the government,” Ms Leadbeater said. “There’s a real lack of understanding the lives of most people.
“Keir’s approach is in stark contrast to the Prime Minister who is far removed from the people.”
While she backed his agenda she acknowledge there remains “lot of work to do yet” before Labour can secure a victory in the next general election, expected in 2024.
Shower of glitter
A protester hurled glitter over Mr Starmer moments before he jumped on stage and took to the podium to deliver one of the most important speeches of his career so far.
The frustration and shock were clear to see on his face as he pushed off the protester, wiped glitter from his jacket and waited for security to arrive.
The protester was wearing a T-shirt that appears to tie him to a group called People Demand Democracy.
He shouted: “We demand a people’s vote. True politics should be citizen led.”
He was then dragged from the stage by security. The audience had been cheering as Mr Starmer arrived on stage before the mood turned to immediate concern. Attendees said the police should have been stationed near the stage instead of in the audience.
He was later driven away from the site and arrested by police.
“The man was detained by security at the event and handed over to the police who arrested him on suspicion of S39 assault, breach of the peace and causing public nuisance," Merseyside Police said.
After the disruption, Mr Starmer opened his speech at Labour Party conference by saying: “If he thinks that bothers me he doesn’t know me.
“Protest not power, that is why we changed our party conference.”
His speech was introduced by Marie Tidball, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Penistone and Stocksbridge.
Mr Starmer said Labour would “fix tomorrow’s challenges, today”.
The Labour leader added: “Today we turn the page, answer the question ‘Why Labour?’ with a plan for a Britain built to last.
“With higher growth, safer streets, cheap British power in your home, more opportunity in your community, the NHS off its knees. A Britain with its future back.
“It will require an entirely new approach to politics – Mission Government, new priorities, totally focused on the interests of working people, five national missions all fixed on a single-minded purpose to govern for the long-term.
“End the Tory disease of ‘sticking plaster politics’ with a simple Labour philosophy that together we fix tomorrow’s challenges, today.”
Mr Starmer emphasised the need for Labour to tackle the emerging "age of insecurity" and seize fresh opportunities.
He said: “People are looking to us because they want our wounds to heal, and we are the healers.
"People are looking to us because these challenges demand a contemporary state, and we are its forerunners. People are looking to us because they aspire to craft a renewed Britain, and we are its architects.”
Mr Starmer highlighted the impact of the cost-of-living crisis.
He stressed that Labour must prioritise significant decisions so that "working people have the freedom to enjoy what they love".
Suggested reforms
Mr Starmer stressed that the Conservative Party threatens the NHS's future.
Citing footballer Hamza Semakula's need to crowdfund for surgery, the Labour leader said: “The whole point of our NHS is to be the crowdfunded solution for all of us... The Conservative Party... will put it in the ground. We have got to get it back on its feet.”
Committing to NHS reform, he said, “If all we do is place the NHS on a pedestal then... it will remain on life support... We must be the government that finally transforms our NHS... Mental health treatment when you need it: we’ll guarantee that... Dangerous waits for a cancer diagnosis: we will consign them to history.
“I’ve reformed a public service before, I know how it goes. But it’s our responsibility to do it, and across our public services the prize is huge".
Mr Starmer outlined his vision for Britain, emphasising the need to stop bonuses for those responsible for environmental harm and recognising the potential opportunities presented by addressing climate change.
He stressed that the government has the potential to be a positive force.
The Labour leader proposed that changes to tax benefits for private schools could help finance mental health professionals in every school.
The Labour leader invited Conservative voters to join his party’s cause, claiming that the Government’s mindset was now “don’t solve problems – exploit them”.
Cost-of-living crisis
Concluding his speech, Sir Keir Starmer said he has “felt the anxiety” of a cost-of-living crisis in the past and he would fight for those who need help now.
He said: “I grew up working class, I’ve been fighting all my life, and I won’t stop now.
“I’ve felt the anxiety of a cost-of-living crisis before and until your family can see the way out, I will fight for you. That’s my mission and we will do it.”
He added: “A plan for a Britain built to last, a plan to heal the wounds, a plan to turn the page and say, in a cry of defiance to all those who now write our country off, Britain must, Britain can, Britain will get its future back.”
No magic wand
Carol Peterson and her friend Linden Phillips travelled from Huddersfield to watch Mr Starmer speak.
They agreed that the Labour leader’s address was “fantastic” and praised his “clear and precise” points.
“The UK is broken now because the Tories have spoiled it for 13 years,” Ms Phillips told The National. “Keir’s the guy. He has the strength and the determination to fix it.
“He’s not pretending it’s going to be easy, he’s not saying he will magically get rid of the problems on the first day if he gets into office. We are going to inherit a dreadful economy that’s been wrecked by the Tories and a world where public money is scarce. Keir needs to be realistic but he’s going to concentrate on the most important problems first.”
Ms Phillipson, a former teacher and schools inspector, said one of the pledges that really stood out for her was the Labour leader’s promise to put technical qualifications and apprenticeships on par with university education.
Ms Paterson said Mr Starmer “painted a picture of a world where we want to see our futures” during his lengthy speech.
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T20 World Cup Qualifier, Muscat
UAE FIXTURES
Friday February 18: v Ireland
Saturday February 19: v Germany
Monday February 21: v Philippines
Tuesday February 22: semi-finals
Thursday February 24: final
The Good Liar
Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen
Directed by: Bill Condon
Three out of five stars
WIDE%20VIEW
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Ajax v Juventus, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match on BeIN Sports
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Super Saturday results
4pm: Mahab Al Shimaal Group 3 | US$350,000 | (Dirt) | 1,200m
Winner: Drafted, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
4.35pm: Al Bastakiya Listed | $300,000 | (D) | 1,900m
Winner: Divine Image, Brett Doyle, Charlie Appleby.
5.10pm: Nad Al Sheba Turf Group 3 | $350,000 | (Turf) | 1,200m
Winner: Blue Point, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
5.45pm: Burj Nahaar Group 3 | $350,000 | (D) | 1,600m
Winner: Muntazah, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson.
6.20pm: Dubai City of Gold Group 2 | $300,000 | (T) | 2,410m
Winner: Old Persian, William Buick, Charlie Appleby.
6.55pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 3 Group 1 | $600,000 | (D) | 2,000m
Winner: Capezzano, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
7.30pm: Jebel Hatta Group 1 | $400,000 | (T) | 1,800m
Winner: Dream Castle, Christophe Soumillon, Saeed bin Suroor.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Full list of Emmy 2020 nominations
LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Don Cheadle, Black Monday
Ted Danson, The Good Place
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Eugene Levy, Schitt’s Creek
Ramy Youssef, Ramy
LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Christina Applegate, Dead to Me
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Linda Cardellini, Dead to Me
Catherine O’Hara, Schitt’s Creek
Issa Rae, Insecure
Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish
OUTSTANDING VARIETY/TALK SERIES
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah
Full Frontal with Samantha Bee
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jason Bateman, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Steve Carell, The Morning Show
Brian Cox, Succession
Billy Porter, Pose
Jeremy Strong, Succession
LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES
Jennifer Aniston, The Morning Show
Olivia Colman, The Crown
Jodie Comer, Killing Eve
Laura Linney, Ozark
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Zendaya, Euphoria
OUTSTANDING REALITY/COMPETITION PROGRAM
The Masked Singer
Nailed It!
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Top Chef
The Voice
LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Jeremy Irons, Watchmen
Hugh Jackman, Bad Education
Paul Mescal, Normal People
Jeremy Pope, Hollywood
Mark Ruffalo, I Know This Much Is True
LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES/TV MOVIE
Cate Blanchett, Mrs. America
Shira Haas, Unorthodox
Regina King, Watchmen
Octavia Spencer, Self Made
Kerry Washington, Little Fires Everywhere
OUTSTANDING LIMITED SERIES
Little Fires Everywhere
Mrs. America
Unbelievable
Unorthodox
Watchmen
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Dead to Me
The Good Place
Insecure
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Schitt’s Creek
What We Do In The Shadows
OUTSTANDING DRAMA SERIES
Better Call Saul
The Crown
The Handmaid’s Tale
Killing Eve
The Mandalorian
Ozark
Stranger Things
Succession
AndhaDhun
Director: Sriram Raghavan
Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18
Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan
Rating: 3.5/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Tips for avoiding trouble online
- Do not post incorrect information and beware of fake news
- Do not publish or repost racist or hate speech, yours or anyone else’s
- Do not incite violence and be careful how to phrase what you want to say
- Do not defame anyone. Have a difference of opinion with someone? Don’t attack them on social media
- Do not forget your children and monitor their online activities
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
GROUP RESULTS
Group A
Results
Ireland beat UAE by 226 runs
West Indies beat Netherlands by 54 runs
Group B
Results
Zimbabwe tied with Scotland
Nepal beat Hong Kong by five wickets
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
Tickets
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets