will today (Monday) announce
that Labour will fight the next election on growing the economy
to secure a “fresh start” for Britain.
In a speech in the North East, the Labour leader will build on
his pledge to put decency and honesty at the heart of his
political mission, saying that “being honest is also about how we
fund every single thing promised.”
Starmer will take aim at the Tories 'arms-race of fantasy
economics', highlighting more than £200 billion of unfunded
commitments made over the weekend by leadership candidates.
will show his Party’s
confidence in taking the Conservatives head on over the economy
by arguing that his “mission in politics” cannot be achieved
unless we get our economy growing again.
will call out the Tory
leadership candidates’ tax hike ‘hypocrisy’. He is expected to
say:
“I cannot believe what we are hearing from the candidates to be
the next Tory leader. The vast majority of them served in 's government. They went out
every day for months and years to defend his behaviour. They
backed every one one of his 15 tax rises. They nodded along and
trooped through the voting lobbies to support them. Now, it turns
out they were opposed to them all along. The hypocrisy is
nauseating.”
He will accuse the Conservative candidates of ‘fantasy
economics.’
“Over the weekend, the contenders have made more than £200
billion of unfunded spending commitments. Let that sink in.
That's more than the annual budget of the NHS, splurged onto the
pages of the Sunday papers, without a word on how it'll be paid
for. I can tell you now - you'll never get that from me.
When I say decency and honesty matter, that means being honest
about how we fund every single thing we promise you.”
will emphasise that not a
single penny of Labour’s plans will be uncosted. He is expected
to announce Labour’s intention to fight the next election on the
economy:
“When I say we are going to pay for kids to catch up at school, I
also say that'll be funded by removing private schools'
charitable status. Or when I say we need to sort out mental
health treatment in this country, I also tell you that we'll do
it by closing tax loopholes used by hedge funds.
“We’ll explain every pound because Labour will fight the next
election on growth. And the first line of the first page of our
offer will be about wealth creation. We will show how a Labour
economy based on partnership and contribution can make Britain
richer.”
In a personal speech that draws on his own background and why he
came into politics, will say:
“I don’t come from a privileged background. My start in life was
completely ordinary. My dad was a tool-maker. My mum was a nurse.
“I owe everything – all my values – to my upbringing. My work
ethic and dedication to public service. But the real gift my
parents gave to me was the opportunity to get on.
“And that is why I came into politics. I have been lucky enough
to take a journey through my life. From a working-class family to
head of the Crown Prosecution Service. So when I say my mission
is to make sure nobody in this country is held back by their
circumstances you know it is not just words.
“The other thing my background gives me is impatience. If you are
born without privilege, you don’t have time for messing around.
You don’t walk around problems without fixing them. I’m impatient
to get things done. I can see what is wrong with Britain and I
want to fix what’s broken.”
The Labour leader will set out the three priority challenges that
his government will tackle. Outlining Labour’s plan for Britain’s
future, he is expected to say:
“Britain is stuck. Stuck with a tanking economy. Stuck at home
unable to get a passport or a flight. Stuck on the phone trying
to book a GP appointment.
“Our taxes are going up. Food and energy bills are out of
control. And many of the public services we rely on have simply
stopped working.
“Britain deserves better than this. We need a fresh start. And I
know you expect me to say this but we won’t get it from a
Conservative Party infected with the chaos virus it caught from
.
“Only Labour can reboot our economy and end the cost-of-living
crisis. Only Labour can revitalise our public services and
re-energise our communities. Only Labour can unite the country
and clean-up politics.
“These three tasks will define my Government because until we
address them we leave ourselves vulnerable to the kind of shocks
and crises we have all endured this past decade.
“I don’t think it’s too hard to describe what people want from
politics. The mission I’ve set out today certainly isn’t
complicated. I want nobody in this country to be held back by
their circumstances. And I want to get Britain moving again, so
we once more face the future with confidence.
“I have talked about why that mission is so personal to me. And I
have talked previously about the moment I knew I needed to leave
the law and go into politics.
“About the daily injustices I saw as Director for Public
Prosecutions. And in particular when we failed to deliver the
justice for their daughter Jane, sought by John and Penny Clough.
“That there is no substitute for politics when it comes to
tackling injustice and changing this country. And change is what
my Labour party will offer at the next election.
“We will give Britain the fresh start it needs. We will reboot
our economy. Re-energise our communities. Revitalise our public
services.”