Keir Starmer promises to protect public services from austerity

In an exclusive interview with the Observer, Starmer said there would be more than just “doom and gloom” and that better times were just around the corner.

This weekend he travels to Liverpool for his first Labour conference as Prime Minister.

Starmer said indiscretions from Downing Street – particularly from staff angry at the influence of his chief of staff, Sue Gray – would destabilise his government less than three months after his party’s landslide election victory.

We are repairing the foundations and rebuilding our country.

The change begins. pic.twitter.com/yzvdew1s8j

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) 21 September 2024

“It is my job to do something about it and I accept that responsibility. And that hurts everyone,” he said, hinting that he wants to root out the informants and restore the unity of his party.

Anger was directed at the way Starmer and his ministers accepted “free” gifts – including clothes – from wealthy donors, leading to accusations that his so-called “service government” was no different from the Tories.

After weeks of warning of tough economic times as a result of the Tories’ disastrous economic policies, Starmer has now made it clear that he is not about to initiate a new round of austerity.

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He stressed that the public service is already underfunded and cannot make further cuts if it is to deliver what the population needs: “I am well aware that our public service is in ruins and there will always be people who say there is an argument for drastic cuts… I have led a public service. I know what cuts feel like.”

“And I know that many of them are being cut to the bone. And that’s why we need to make sure that our public services function properly.”

Starmer will make clear tomorrow that he wants to be more optimistic and explain how the Labour government plans to rebuild the country.