Start of Labour Conference Address today and how to follow it

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

It will be the Prime Minister’s first conference speech since the Labour Party’s election victory in July. The conference is being held in Liverpool for the third year in a row.

He is expected to tell a packed hall of delegates that “tough” decisions must be made to “build a new Britain”. His speech is expected to be a departure from the more negative messages the government has been pushing since taking office.

The Prime Minister’s speech comes at a time when the party is facing increasing criticism over its decision to cut heating allowances for millions of pensioners from this winter. 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 is likely to reiterate the government’s view that the measure is necessary to reduce the country’s budget deficit in his speech today, but he is also thought to try to strike a more hopeful tone, with the party facing criticism since taking office that its messaging has been too dire.

You can watch Sir Keir’s keynote speech at the conference live via The Independent’s live stream.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Prime Minister’s speech today:

When is Keir Starmer’s speech at the Labour Party Conference?

The Prime Minister’s conference address is scheduled to begin at 2pm on 24 September.

It is the main event of the day and one of the most important of all four days. Delegates are likely to fill the main conference hall at ACC Liverpool. It is a momentous occasion because it is the first time in 15 years that a Labour leader has addressed the conference as Prime Minister.

For the latest information during Sir Keir’s speech and throughout the day, follow the Independent’s live coverage of the Labour 2024 conference.

What is the Prime Minister likely to say?

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

“The politics of national renewal is collective. It involves a common struggle,” he will say.

“A project that tells everyone: In the short term it will be tough, but in the long term it is the right thing for our country.”

“And we all benefit from that.”

His more optimistic tone echoes that of Finance Minister Rachel Reeves the day before, who said she could “see the price that will come to us if we make the right decisions now.”

The full content of Sir Keir’s speech will not be announced until later in the day.