Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Liveupdated1727108290

Labour conference live: Rachel Reeves stands by winter fuel allowance cut as nurses reject 5.5% pay rise

Nurses pay deal rejection raises fears of further strikes across NHS

Protester grabbed by neck and thrown out of Labour party conference in Reeves’ speech

Your support helps us to tell the story

My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.

Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.

Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond

Head shot of Eric Garcia

Eric Garcia

Washington Bureau Chief

Nurses across the country have rejected Rachel Reeves’ offer of a 5.5 per cent pay rise – just as the chancellor was delivering her keynote conference speech.

The announcement by the Royal College of Nursing came as Ms Reeves addressed Labour activists in Liverpool.

Sir Keir Starmer’s government has faced heavy criticism over its winter fuel allowance cut and gifts accepted by ministers.

The chancellor’s message is that there will be “no return” to austerity at her first budget on 30 October in a move to “rebuild Britain”.

She also defended her decision to scrap the winter fuel allowance, blaming the unpopular cut on the economic inheritance left by the last Conservative government. Earlier, boos were heard in the hall as a debate on the cut was pushed back from today to Wednesday, the final morning of the conference.

Minutes into the speech, a protester shouted out and was removed from the hall.

The Independent’s political team will be reporting live throughout the Labour Party conference in Liverpool.

1727091629

The Climate Resistance claims responsibility for pro-Palestine protester

A campaign group called The Climate Resistance has claimed responsibility for the protest which disrupted Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ conference speech.

Sam Simons, a spokesman for the group said: “Labour promised us change – instead we’re getting more of the same. The same pandering to the fossil fuel industry; the same arms licences that are fuelling a genocide in Gaza, and the same austerity that sees the poorest hit hardest.

“It’s time for Labour to start putting the needs of people before the interests of profit. That means immediately stopping arms licences to Israel, blocking new oil and gas, and standing up for the communities already being devastated by the climate crisis.”

(AP)
Salma Ouaguira23 September 2024 12:40
1727091548

Chancellor promises more building

Rachel Reeves has primised more building as she said ‘”the sounds and sights of the future arriving”.

She told the audience: “You will see in your town or your city is a sight that we have not seen often enough in our country.

“Shovels in the ground, cranes in the sky, the sounds and the sight of the future, arriving. We will make that a reality.

“Wealth created and wealth shared in every part of Britain, that is the Britain we’re building, that is the Britain I believe in.”

Salma Ouaguira23 September 2024 12:39
1727091430

‘Era of trickle down, trickle out economics is over’

Rachel Reeves has declared the era of “trickle down, trickle out economics” is over.

She said: “It is time that the Treasury moved on from just counting the costs of investment to recognising the benefits too.

“So we are calling time on the ideas of the past, calling time on the days when governments stood back, left crucial sectors to fend for themselves, and turned a blind eye to where things are made and who makes them.”

Announcing a new industrial strategy, sha added: “The era of trickle down, trickle out, economics is over, and so I can announce, that next month, alongside our business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, I will publish our plans for a new industrial strategy for Britain.”

(AFP via Getty Images)
Salma Ouaguira23 September 2024 12:37
1727091268

Chancellor defends decision to means test winter fuel payment

Rachel Reeves has defended her decision to cut automatic winter fuel payments for pensioners and admitted the move was not backed by everyone.

She said: “We cancelled road and rail projects promised by the Conservatives, which they did not budget for.

“And I made the choice to means test the winter fuel payment so that it’s only targeted to those most in need.

“I know that not everyone in this hall or in the country will agree with every decision that I make. I will not duck those decisions for political expediency, not for personal advantage.”

Salma Ouaguira23 September 2024 12:34
1727091159

Reeves slams ‘Liz Truss experiment’ during speech

Rachel Reeves has used her keynote speech to attack former prime minister’s Liz Truss’s disastrous mini-budget.

She told the crowd: “The British capacity for inventiveness, enterprise and old-fashioned hard work has not gone away.

“So believe me when I say my optimism about Britain is brighter than ever.

“My ambition knows no limits because I can see that, provided that we make the right choices now, stability is a crucial foundation on which all of our ambitions will be built, the essential precondition for business to invest with confidence and for families to plan for the future.”

The chancellor added: “The Liz Truss experiment showed us that any plan for growth without stability leads to ruin.”

Andre Langlois23 September 2024 12:32
1727091036

‘I believe in a better Britain’

The chancellor has said she believes her optimism for Britain ‘burns brighter than ever” with her plan to boost economic growth.

Rachel Reeves told Labour’s conference: “I believe in a better Britain, a Britain of opportunity, fairness and enterprise.

“I know that country has sometimes felt far off in recent years as our growth, our productivity and family finances all behind.

“But it doesn’t have to be that way. The British capacity for inventiveness, enterprise, often hard work, has not gone away.

“Believe me when I say, my optimism for Britain burns brighter than ever. My ambition knows no limits, because I can deceases if we make the right choices now... Growth is the challenge and investment is the solution.”

Andre Langlois23 September 2024 12:30
1727090946

VAT on private schools part of ‘Britain I believe in’ - Reeves

Rachel Reeves has defended her plan to increase VAT on private schools, hailing the decision as part of the “Britain I believe in”.

She told the conference: “We said we would not increase taxes on working people, which is why we will not increase basic, higher or additional rates of income tax, national insurance or VAT.

“And we will cap corporation tax at its current level for the duration of this parliament.

“Conference, as promised, we will extend the energy profit levy on oil and gas producers to invest in homegrown energy here in Britain.

“We will end the non-dom tax loopholes, and we will crack down on tax avoidance and tax evasion. That is the difference our Labour government will make.”

(Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)
Salma Ouaguira23 September 2024 12:29
1727090818

Reeves: ‘No return to austerity in October Budget'

The chancellor has promised there will be “no austerity” ahead of the first Budget of the Labour government.

Rachel Reeves said: “Next month I will deliver the first Budget of this Labour government.

“And because I know how much damage has been done in those 14 years, let me say one thing straight up. There will be no return to austerity.

“Yes, we must deal with the Tory legacy and that means tough decisions but I won’t let that dim our ambition for Britain.

“So real ambition, a budget to fix the foundations, a budget to deliver the change that we promised a budget to rebuild, Britain, and my budget will keep our manifesto commitment. Every choice we make will be within a framework of economic and fiscal stability. You’d expect nothing less.”

Salma Ouaguira23 September 2024 12:26
1727090748

Watch: Protester grabbed by neck and thrown out of Labour party conference in Reeves’ speech

Protester grabbed by neck and thrown out of Labour conference during Reeves speech

A protester who heckled Rachel Reeves during her Labour Party conference speech was grabbed by the neck and hauled out of the venue on Monday, 23 September. The heckler shouted about the sale of arms to Israel before security removed him from the hall. “I thought we were voting for change Rachel, climate breakdown is on our doorstep,” the protester shouted as delegates drowned out his words. Ms Reeves responded that Labour “represents working people, not a party of protest.”

Salma Ouaguira23 September 2024 12:25
1727090694

Rachel Reeves doubles down on controversial winter fuel cuts

In her speech Rachel Reeves also doubled down on her controversial winter fuel cuts, Kate Devlin writes from the Labour conference.

She suggested that not everything she did in government would be popular within Labour and in the wider country.

But she added: “I will not duck those decisions”.

Kate Devlin23 September 2024 12:24

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in