Starmer: Labour will not take away ‘safety net' from vulnerable people
In a speech to the Welsh Labour conference that came after a major U-turn on reforms in the face of a backbench rebellion, he said fixing the 'broken' system must be done in a 'Labour way'.
'We cannot take away the safety net that vulnerable people rely on, and we won't, but we also can't let it become a snare for those who can and want to work,' the Prime Minister said.
'Everyone agrees that our welfare system is broken: failing people every day, a generation of young people written off for good and the cost spiralling out of control.
'Fixing it is a moral imperative, but we need to do it in a Labour way.'
He called Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan a 'fierce champion' and 'the best person to lead Wales into the future' to applause and cheers from the audience.
Baroness Morgan had publicly criticised the welfare plans and called for Sir Keir to change tack on restrictions on winter fuel payments, which he also eventually reversed.
Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC she was 'right to raise concerns' and promised to 'deliver on those as far as we can'.
First Minister and Labour leader in Wales, Baroness Eluned Morgan, has publicly criticised the welfare plans (PA)
Farmers gathered outside the conference in Llandudno to protest ahead of Sir Keir's speech, with about 20 tractors parked on the promenade in the north Wales resort town by late morning.
Sir Keir also said any deal between the Tories, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru at next year's key elections in Wales would amount to a 'backroom stitch-up'.
The elections to the Senedd will use a proportional system for the first time, meaning coalitions are likely.
The Prime Minister said it would risk a 'return to the chaos and division of the last decade' and risk rolling back the progress his party is starting to make.
He told the Llandudno conference it would be 'working families left to pick up the bill'.
Sir Keir warned his audience about allowing Reform UK or Plaid Cymru to gain power in Wales (Screengrab/Welsh Labour TV/PA)
'Whether that's with Reform or with Plaid's determination to cut Wales off from the rest of the country, with no plan to put Wales back together,' he said.
'I know that these are the parties that talk a big game, but who is actually delivering?'
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out making deals with Plaid Cymru or Reform at the next Senedd election.
Reform UK is eyeing an opportunity to end Labour's 26 years of domination in the Welsh Parliament.
Labour performed poorly in this year's local elections in England, which saw Nigel Farage's party win a swathe of council seats.
Sir Keir also took aim at Nigel Farage, calling him a 'wolf in Wall Street clothing' who has 'no idea what he's talking about'.
He said the Reform UK leader 'isn't interested in Wales' and has no viable plan for the blast furnaces at Port Talbot.
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Spectator
21 minutes ago
- Spectator
Starmer changes his tune on peerage rules
Sir Keir Starmer seems to be changing his mind a lot these days. Whether it is welfare cuts or the 'island of strangers' speech, a grooming gangs inquiry or winter fuel, the Prime Minister is struggling to keep consistent line on much at present. So it is perhaps no surprise then that the Labour leader has changed his tune on the rules around peerages too. In a little-noticed statement to parliament, snuck out last Thursday, Starmer provided an update on the 'roles and responsibilities of all parties involved in making nominations to the House of Lords.' He addressed the subject of the House of Lords Appointments Commission (HOLAC), saying that: Advice on propriety is separate to judgements about the suitability of candidates, which are for political parties… The Commission can decline to support a nomination on propriety grounds and will inform the relevant political party if this is the case. It is a matter for the Prime Minister to decide whether to recommend an individual to the Sovereign. In the unlikely event I, as Prime Minister, were to proceed with a nomination against HOLAC's advice on propriety I would write to the Commission and this letter would be published on The Commission may also provide advice on whether there are any presentational risks associated with a nominee. The Commission does not withhold support for a nominee due to presentational risks. Hmm. That is a somewhat different tone to the one struck by Labour in opposition. Flashback to 2020 when Labour criticised Boris Johnson's decision to overrule HOLAC and award businessman Peter Cruddas a peerage. It prompted Starmer's deputy, Angela Rayner, to declare that 'there is one rule for the Conservatives and their chums, another for the rest of the country.' Yet now that Labour is in office, it seems that Starmer is perfectly happy to overrule HOLAC if he deems it necessary… There is an intriguing sub-plot to this latest Starmer statement too. He goes on to refer to the creation of Crossbench peerages: As Prime Minister, I will continue to recommend directly for appointment a limited number of candidates to sit as Crossbench peers, based on their public service, including both distinguished public servants on retirement and individuals with a proven track record of service to the public. These nominations will continue to be vetted for propriety by the House of Lords Appointments Commission. Given Starmer's aforementioned distinction between 'propriety' and 'suitability', it does raise the question of who exactly he has in mind to sit on the Crossbenches in future…
Times
26 minutes ago
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Nigel Farage: If I can't give young men a voice, wait till what comes after me
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YouGov's first seat by seat poll since Labour's election victory was published last week, suggesting Reform is on track to gain 266 seats — up from five last July — making it the largest party in a hung parliament with 271 MPs. Farage's first cabinet would consist of people who had never been an MP, let alone had any experience of government. • The Nigel Farage backers chasing Maga millions and a Jenrick pact So how would he form a government capable of delivering? 'How could we do worse?' he asked. 'I mean, we currently appoint cabinet ministers with zero experience of the areas. We swap them out after 18 months for somebody else with zero experience of the areas. None of it bloody works.' He agrees with assertions by Simon Case, the former cabinet secretary, that politicians have 'less and less direct levers of power than they used to' and this is 'not sustainable'. 'Most of the authority is being transferred to regulatory authorities and quangos who make the real decisions, it seems, that affect people's lives,' he says. 'I think we're stuck with a completely outdated mentality. The government has to be in the House of Commons. Why? I'll tell you why. Accountability.' Farage is a close friend of President Trump and believes he deserves to win the Nobel peace prize for his recent work in the Middle East. He is attracted to the way politics is done in America, where the president is able to appoint his own cabinet, rather than having to choose from a pool of elected politicians. Appointments are subject to Senate confirmation. 'The point about America is that you can have a senior cabinet position and you are held to account by a committee system that takes place on Capitol Hill and that is the equivalent of being in a court of law,' he said. 'That's accountability. 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As Farage sketches out his blueprint for power, it is easy to forget his decision to stand as an MP last year was far from a given. Despite his huge surge in popularity after his stint in ITV's I'm a Celebrity, he had still not decided whether to return to politics and admits Rishi Sunak's decision to hold an early general election nearly 'wrong-footed' him. 'I thought at that point, well this is hopeless,' he said. 'Because there's no way in this space of time I can do what needs to be done. And be honest with you, I was very despondent because I thought I'm just turning 60. Another five years and it will be too late.' In the days after the election was called, Farage, who has more TikTok followers than the other 649 MPs added together, hit the campaign trail in Dover, before joining Lee Anderson in Ashfield and Richard Tice in Boston & Skegness. 'As I'm walking through Skegness, people are stopping me in the street saying, 'Why aren't you standing? Like you're letting me down. 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Farage has been careful to distance himself from Tommy Robinson, the right-wing criminal, at the expense of Elon Musk's support. However, he has previously praised the misogynist influencer Andrew Tate and expressed wider concerns that diversity and inclusion policies are discriminating against men. 'I'm not in Andrew Tate's camp, but I see why he's doing well,' he said. He hopes young men will turn to him to give them a voice 'because if I don't, you wait till what comes after me'. He added: 'Those who try to demonise me could be in for a terrible shock once I'm gone. That's why we say we believe that we are the last chance to restore confidence in the democratic system, to change things.' Farage — relatively young compared with the current crop of world leaders — says he is pushing an 'old-fashioned agenda'. 'I think the values thing is underestimated,' he said. 'That sense of safety and security; the sense of knowing where you are. As I came into London in June last year to announce my comeback into this malarkey, I think about the sort of phraseology that came out of that press conference, which we've maintained: family, community, country. I think that resonates quite a lot. 'I think these values are vital and I think if those values break down then we'll risk being in big trouble and there is such a thing as society, there really is.' Farage is a lucky general. He has had four brushes with death, including walking away from a plane crash almost unscathed. 'The biggest single factor in all of our lives is luck,' he said. 'Right now, I feel pretty lucky and that I might just be in the right place at the right time.'
Powys County Times
43 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Nigel Farage ‘not interested in Wales', Starmer claims
Sir Keir Starmer has said Reform leader Nigel Farage 'isn't interested in Wales' and has no viable plan for Port Talbot's blast furnaces. Speaking at the Welsh Labour conference in Llandudno, the Prime Minister described the Reform UK leader as a 'wolf in Wall Street clothing'. 'When you ask him about Clacton, he thinks he's running in the 2.10 at Ascot,' Sir Keir joked. Mr Farage has said his party wants to restart Port Talbot's blast furnaces but Sir Keir said the Reform leader has 'no idea what he's talking about', when it comes to the furnaces, and has 'no plan at all'. Port Talbot's remaining blast furnaces were shut down in September, with a new electric arc furnace being built in their place. Reform is looking to end Labour's 26 years of domination at the Senedd elections in May next year. Labour performed poorly in this year's local elections in England, which saw Mr Farage's party win a swathe of council seats. Taking aim at Mr Farage, Sir Keir said the Clacton MP is 'a wolf in Wall Street clothing'. 'Reform claimed to be the party of patriotism while sucking up to Putin and abusing our armed forces online. 'They say they're the party of workers while they vote against workers' rights, intending to charge people to use the NHS and plan unfunded tax cuts for billionaires.' Sir Keir also said any deal between the Tories, Reform UK and Plaid Cymru at next year's key elections in Wales would amount to a 'backroom stitch-up'. The elections to the Senedd will use a proportional system for the first time, meaning coalitions are likely. The Prime Minister said it would risk a 'return to the chaos and division of the last decade' and risk rolling back the progress his party is starting to make. It would be 'working families left to pick up the bill', he added. 'Whether that's with Reform or with Plaid's determination to cut Wales off from the rest of the country, with no plan to put Wales back together,' he said. 'I know that these are the parties that talk a big game, but who is actually delivering?' Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has not ruled out making deals with Plaid Cymru or Reform at the next Senedd election. Farmers gathered outside the conference to protest ahead of Sir Keir's speech, with about 20 tractors parked on the promenade in the north Wales resort town by late morning. First Minister Eluned Morgan accused Nigel Farage of 'peddling fantasies' about the future of Wales. Next year's key elections in Wales will be a 'moment of reckoning', she said. 'Reform are rising and across the country, people are asking big, serious questions about what kind of future they want for Wales,' Baroness Morgan told the conference. 'It's time to stand up,' she added. 'While Nigel Farage is in Port Talbot peddling fantasies about sending people's grandchildren down coal mines and reopening blast furnaces, we're dealing with the reality that they left behind, the scars of decades of Tory neglect, the cost of industrial decline,' she said. 'We're not romanticising the past. We're cleaning it up.'
