LIVERPOOL, England (AP) 鈥 British Prime Minister Keir Starmer tried to shake off his image as a gloom-monger on Tuesday, telling voters exhausted by years of political and economic turmoil that better times are on the way 鈥 if they swallow his recipe of short-term pain for long-term gain.
Starmer capped the Labour Party's first annual conference since in July with a speech arguing that things will be 鈥渢ough in the short term" but there is light at the end of the tunnel.
Some members of the center-left party say Starmer has made that dark tunnel longer by delivering downbeat messages about the economy since becoming Britain's first Labour prime minister for 14 years. That and a distracting row about freebies have overshadowed what should be a celebratory gathering for thousands of party members in the northwest England port city of Liverpool.
A country tired of politics
鈥淚 know this country is exhausted by and with politics,鈥 Starmer said. He promised to deliver 鈥渘ational renewal鈥 but said he wouldn't offer 鈥渇alse hope鈥 about the cost and the difficult tradeoffs involved.
鈥淛ust because we all want low taxes and good public services, does not mean that the iron law of properly funding policies can be ignored,鈥 Starmer said.
He pledged to take 鈥渢ough鈥 decisions 鈥 code for public spending restraint and tax increases 鈥 to achieve economic growth to fund schools, hospitals, roads, railways and more. Starmer acknowledged some of those decisions would be unpopular, but said 鈥渨e will turn our collar up and face the storm."
鈥淚f the last few years have shown us anything, it鈥檚 that if you bury your head because things are difficult, your country goes backwards,鈥 he said.
Low approval ratings
Starmer won the election on a promise to banish years of turmoil and scandal under Conservative governments, get Britain鈥檚 sluggish economy growing and restore frayed public services such as the state-funded
The government is gambling that voters give Starmer time to show results. But with polls suggesting Starmer鈥檚 approval ratings have plummeted, anxiety about missteps clouded the mood among Labour members gathered beside the River Mersey in a rain-drenched Liverpool.
Soon after taking office Starmer announced there is a 22-billion-pound ($29 billion) 鈥渂lack hole鈥 in the public finances left by the previous Conservative government. One of the government's first acts was to intended to help heat their homes in winter. Starmer hinted in his speech that he would impose tighter rules for welfare recipients.
The conference also was dampened by a tempest over Starmer鈥檚 at a time when millions of people are struggling with the cost of living. Starmer insists he followed the rules when he took thousands of pounds worth of clothes and designer eyeglasses from a wealthy Labour donor, but the story generated days of negative headlines.
Cabinet minister Pat McFadden, who ran Labour鈥檚 election campaign, said the government would not be derailed by criticism.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to pretend to anyone in this room that I鈥檝e enjoyed some of the headlines and stories over the last week ,鈥 he told a meeting at the conference. 鈥淏ut nor am I going to allow them to define the government.鈥
International challenges
The clothes episode, and another over are unwelcome distractions for a government taking office as tensions spiral in the Middle East and the 2 1/2-year-old war in Ukraine grinds on.
Starmer vowed to retain Britain鈥檚 鈥渟teadfast鈥 military, humanitarian and diplomatic support for Kyiv, urged an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the return of Israeli hostages 鈥 though he briefly misspoke and said 鈥渟ausages鈥 before correcting himself. He called for 鈥渁ll parties to step back from the brink鈥 amid mounting strikes in both directions across the Israel-Lebanon border.
In July's election, Labour lost several seats it had been expected to win to independent candidates critical of the party's initial refusal to call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.
The issue continues to be difficult for the party. Starmer was briefly interrupted by a heckler shouting about Gaza, who was quicky escorted out by security staff. Earlier Tuesday, attempted to write 鈥淕enocide conference鈥 at the entrance to the convention center
A personal approach
The hour-long speech fleshed out how Starmer views his personal brand of measured, moderate politics. It provided strikingly personal detail about a politician often called dull and managerial, as Starmer recalled his childhood love of the flute and the landscape of England's Lake District.
The speech was peppered with words including joy, wonder and calm, as he argued that economic stability and growth would let people 鈥渇ocus on the little things they love in life, not the anxiety and security we have now.鈥
He also rejected populism and divisiveness he said marked many politicians on the right, condemning the 鈥渞acist thugs鈥 involved in anti-immigrant violence during the summer and arguing that Britain is a nation of tolerance and fairness.
Starmer received rapturous applause from delegates delighted that Labour is back in power, even if some were anxious about the party's direction.
Julian Allam was underwhelmed with the speech, and would have liked more detail on how the government would help low-income families, though he said Starmer 鈥渄elivered it well.鈥
Delegate Bridie McCreesh branded the speech "brilliant,鈥 even though she regretted the decision on winter fuel payments.
鈥淗ousing, schools, the national health, public services 鈥 if they can achieve all that I'll be more than happy,鈥 she said.
