Keir Starmer speech: Start time for Labour party conference address today and how to watch

Everything you need to know about the Labour leader’s first conference speech as PM

Sir Keir Starmer will deliver his headline speech at the Labour Party conference today where he is expected to promise a “light at the end of tunnel” for the country.

It will be the prime minister’s first conference speech since Labour’s election victory in July. The conference has returned to Liverpool for a third year in a row.

Speaking to a crowded hall of delegates, he is expected to say that “tough” decisions need to be made to “build a new Britain.” It is thought his speech will represent a departure from the more negative messaging the government has delivered since coming into power.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during an In Conversation event during the Labour Party conference in Liverpool (Stefan Rousseau/PA) (PA Wire)

The prime minister’s speech comes as the party faces heightened criticism over their decision to cut winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners from this winter. Trade unions have accused conference organisers of trying to silence them by giving a motion on the measure a last-minute slot at the four-day event.

Sir Keir Starmer rehearses his conference speech, 22 September 2024 (Getty Images)

Sir Keir will likely reiterate the government’s view that the measure is necessary to fill the country’s budget deficit at his speech today. However, it is also thought he will try to strike a more hopeful tone, amid criticism that the party’s messaging since coming into power has been too gloomy.

You can watch Sir Keir’s keynote conference address as it happens via The Independent’s live stream.

Here’s everything you need to know about the prime minister’s speech today:

What time is Keir Starmer’s Labour conference speech?

The prime minister’s conference speech is billed to start at 2pm on September 24.

It is the today’s main event, and one of the most important across all four days, with delegates likely to fill up ACC Liverpool’s main conference hall. It is a signifcant occasion, marking the first time in 15 years that a Labour leader has addressed conference as prime minister.

You can watch Sir Keir make his speech via the Independent’s website. For all the latest updates throughout the day, follow our live coverage of Labour’s 2024 conference.

What is the prime minister expected to say?

Sir Keir is expected to promise a future of “national renewal” in his speech.

“The politics of national renewal are collective. They involve a shared struggle,” he will say.

“A project that says, to everyone, this will be tough in the short term, but in the long term - it’s the right thing to do for our country.

“And we all benefit from that.”

His more up-beat tone reflects that taken by chancellor Rachel Reeves the day before, who said she can “see the prize on offer if we make the right choices now.”

The full content of Sir Keir’s speech won’t be revealed until he makes it later today.

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