Liverpool, UK (EFE).- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday appealed for “space” to govern and reset the Labour Party’s direction as it trails in the polls, opening the party’s annual conference in Liverpool with doubts over his leadership looming.
Starmer is expected to deliver a keynote address on Tuesday aimed at convincing both his party and voters that he can turn around Labour’s fortunes after just over a year in power.
Seeking to set electoral battle lines, Starmer toughened his rhetoric against right-wing populist party Reform UK, which currently leads national polls. He described it as “the enemy” in “the fight of our lives.”
He condemned Reform’s proposal to force residents with indefinite leave to remain to reapply under stricter rules. “I think it is a racist policy. I think it is immoral,” he told reporters.
Starmer urged Labour members to stop “navel-gazing” and instead focus on communicating the government’s achievements.
“I will be judged in the next election, scheduled for 2029, on whether we have improved living standards, public services, and the country’s security. That is fair, but I must be allowed to work to deliver it,” he said.
Poll slump and rising criticism
An Ipsos poll conducted Sep. 11-17 showed Reform UK at 34% support, Labour at 22% and the Conservatives at 14%. Starmer’s personal ratings have also fallen to record lows.
The prime minister acknowledged voter frustration at the slow pace of reform since his election victory in Jul. 2024, stressing his government had “inherited a broken economy and shattered public services.”
But Starmer, often criticized for a cautious style, faces pressure from the party’s grassroots to show clear leadership and deliver tangible results.
His cuts to social benefits have angered Labour’s base, while promises to revive the economy remain unfulfilled.
Recent weeks have brought forced resignations, including that of his deputy, Angela Rayner, over a tax scandal that triggered an internal election, and Britain’s ambassador to Washington, Peter Mandelson, over past links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Militants demand clearer leadership
At Liverpool’s ACC conference center, some members voiced disappointment in a leader they say struggles to connect with ordinary voters.
“His approach has been too cautious, technocratic, and centralist. If he cannot defend the party’s values, we will need someone else to lead us into the next general election,” said former Labour councillor Ken Ritchie, 68.
Union leader Chris Webb, spokesperson for the Communication Workers Union (CWU), argued Starmer “has prioritized big business over ordinary people,” citing “strategic mistakes” such as cuts to subsidies.
“If he doesn’t change soon, someone will have to replace him,” he warned.
Delegates also demanded a “clear roadmap,” pointing to next May’s local and regional elections as a critical test of his leadership.
On Monday, Finance Minister Rachel Reeves, whose performance is also under scrutiny. will address the conference before Starmer’s speech on Tuesday. EFE
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