Sir Keir Starmer has vowed Labour will “never surrender” the nation’s flag as he delivered a combative speech at the party conference in Liverpool, directly targeting Nigel Farage and Reform UK. The Prime Minister urged delegates to “fly all our flags” and promised to unite the country behind them, framing the next election as a contest of patriotism. He dismissed Mr Farage as a “snake oil salesman” peddling false cures, insisting that only Labour offered a path to genuine renewal.
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The intervention comes after a turbulent few weeks for Sir Keir, during which he lost his deputy, Angela Rayner, senior adviser Peter Mandelson, and several Downing Street aides. With polls showing Labour trailing Reform, the Prime Minister sought to seize back the initiative and present himself as a unifier. He accused Mr Farage of spreading grievance and negativity, arguing that the Reform leader did not believe in Britain’s future. The audience, waving Union flags, responded with repeated ovations.
Mr Farage swiftly hit back, calling the speech a “desperate last throw of the dice” and accusing Sir Keir of inciting hostility towards Reform supporters. The Reform leader defended his record on sovereignty, insisting he had fought for Britain’s independence for three decades. He warned that Sir Keir’s language could endanger campaigners, drawing comparisons with violence from radical groups. Meanwhile, the Conservatives were scarcely mentioned, with Sir Keir drawing laughter by remarking: “The Tories… remember them?”
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Policy details in the address were limited, though the Prime Minister announced a revised education target of two-thirds of young people entering either university or high-quality apprenticeships. He admitted that complacency following the financial crisis and overreliance on globalisation had left Britain exposed. Acknowledging the need for difficult decisions in the forthcoming budget, Sir Keir said his Government’s priority was growth. Concluding, he urged voters to believe in a “renewed Britain”, insisting the country was not broken but capable of unity and shared purpose.
