‘Liz Truss was right’: Keir Starmer wants 30% of purchased food to be British

Labour will set out targets for produce bought by schools, hospitals, prisons and government

Keir Starmer will back Liz Truss’s call for more British produce on the supermarket shelves when he sets out a Labour pledge for one third of food bought by government to be grown in the UK.

The former Tory prime minister was widely mocked for her “that is a disgrace” 2014 speech, in which mourned the fact Britain imports two-thirds of its cheese.

But the Labour leader will use a speech at the National Farmers Union (NFU) conference in Birmingham on Tuesday to agree with the senior Tory. “Finally – something Liz Truss was actually right about,” he will say.

Sir Keir is expected to promise that a Labour government would make sure at least 50 per cent of all food bought by schools, hospitals, prisons and government departments will be British or highly sustainable.

The “buy British” target includes ensuring up to 30 per cent is home-grown food and at least 20 per cent highly sustainable.

“We’re committed to reforming public procurement – using it sensibly and carefully – to build up our sovereign capabilities in key industries. Seasonal, sustainable, British-grown food is a key part of it.”

It comes as the Labour leader prepares to reveal his five big pledges to the electorate in a bid to outflank Rishi Sunak, who offered his top five big priorities in a speech at the start of January.

Sir Keir is expected to use a speech on Thursday to set out five “national missions” on the economy, the NHS, crime, climate change and education as part of his push to win the general election expected in 2024.

The Independent understands Mr Starmer will focus on economic growth this week – promising to boost prosperity in every region of the UK – while holding back the details of the other pledges for the months ahead.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir used his speech at the Scottish Labour conference in Edinburgh on Sunday to urge SNP voters to put their faith in Labour in the wake of Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation.

He repeated his claim that the road to electoral success “must run through Scotland”, adding he wanted to be a “prime minister for the UK, not just prime minister of the UK”.

Senior Labour figures believe that Ms Sturgeon boosts their hopes of winning more than 20 seats in Scotland at the 2024 election – a performance that could make the difference between a hung parliament and an outright majority.

Polling guru Sir John Curtice said on Sunday that if Labour closes the gap on the SNP in the polls, it could get 25 Scottish seats, helping Sir Keir win a majority.

The Labour leader urged party members in Scotland to reach across the aisle following the shock events of last week, telling them to “reach out to your communities”.

Warning against complacency, Sir Keir said: “Mark my words, we won’t change any hearts or minds by sitting back and watching a battle for power within the SNP. Or by assuming that any weakening of faith in their case automatically benefits us. We have to go out there and earn it.”

Labour grandee Peter Mandelson said Ms Sturgeon’s exit was “good news for Labour”, before adding that it was important that changes under Sir Keir’s leadership are “embraced” by Scottish voters and the wider UK electorate.

Lord Mandelson told Sky News: “Of course, it opens up an opportunity for us to win back seats. The opportunity is not to offer a different form of nationalism, but an alternative to nationalism.”

Meanwhile, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper defended Labour’s pledged to introduce new “respect orders” which would create a new criminal offence for repeat antisocial behaviour offenders.

Ask if the policy was a “new Labour” classic and Starmer was “unashamedly New Labour”, Ms Cooper told BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “On tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime, was right then and it’s right now ... the Conservatives are doing neither.”