San Francisco Frontiers - Starmer insists Labour fit to govern as crisis grips UK

The head of the main opposition told its annual conference that new Prime Minister Liz Truss and the Tories had "lost control of the British economy", as the UK reels from soaring inflation, imminent recession and a weakening currency.

His speech in the northwestern English city of Liverpool was met with fervent applause from the Labour rank and file -- who can now scent power, after 12 years in the political wilderness and bouts of ideological infighting.

It came the day after the pound crashed to an unprecedented low against the dollar. "And for what?" Starmer queried. "For tax cuts for the richest one percent in our society.

"Don't forget, don't forgive," he said. "The only way to stop this is with a Labour government."

The pound's plunge has been blamed on a mini-budget unveiled Friday by Britain's new finance minister, Kwasi Kwarteng, which cut taxes -- including for the highest earners -- and raised government borrowing.

The currency rebounded somewhat Tuesday, but remains vulnerable amid market concerns that the tax-slashing plan could drive up interest rates and derail public finances.

"What we've seen from the government in the past few days has no precedent," Starmer said, vowing instead investment in healthcare, education and a "green prosperity plan" against climate change.

Condemning the patchwork of ownership of UK energy firms, including by foreign governments, he said that within a year of winning power Labour would create a nationally owned entity called "Great British Energy".

- 'Cavalry is coming' -

The latest survey by YouGov showed Labour 17 points ahead of the Tories, its biggest lead since 2001 and the era of Tony Blair, who won an unprecedented three general elections for the party from 1997.

A separate YouGov poll gave support to Labour's narrative about the Truss-Kwarteng budget plan, finding 57 percent of Britons think the measures collectively were unfair.

That was the worst score for any financial statement since the Conservatives took power from Labour in 2010.

Starmer's health spokesman Wes Streeting echoed the confident tone heard from delegates in Liverpool, telling Sky News that "the cavalry is coming with Labour".

Starmer, 60, took over the Labour leadership in April 2020 from the left-wing Jeremy Corbyn but initially struggled to break through with the public during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Tories' problems under their previous scandal-plagued prime minister Boris Johnson, and now the spiralling financial crisis, have revived Labour's fortunes following Corbyn's divisive five-year tenure.

- Shifting the narrative -

In his speech, Starmer said it was now "the party of the centre ground" and of "sound money" -- as the Tory government struggles to reassure jittery investors at home and abroad.

In an unusual move, attendees at this year's conference on Sunday sang the national anthem "God Save the King", beneath images of the late queen Elizabeth II.

Fears the rendition would be marred by boos or heckles from the Corbyn-leaning left proved unfounded.

Starmer was unabashed in trying to grab the mantle of patriotism as well as economic competence from the Tories.

"Country first, party second," he said of his leadership, hailing Labour as once again "the political wing of the British people" -- echoing Blair who previously deployed the same phrase.

He also earned sustained applause for declaring a Labour government would maintain Britain's staunch support for Ukraine against Russia's invasion.

Starmer has vowed not to reverse the Conservatives' "hard Brexit" deal, which took Britain out of the European Union's single market and customs union.

That has frustrated some in the party, and there is also disquiet from its traditional union backers about support for workers on strike over pay as inflation surges.

But overall, according to University of Exeter lecturer Richard Jobson, Starmer has shifted the electorate's view of his party.

Traditional views of Labour as profligate and the Tories as fiscally responsible "no longer feel either coherent or convincing", said Jobson, a historian who specialises in the opposition party.

"Starmer knows this and the current polling suggests that he is in a good position to capitalise on the collapse of these narratives electorally."

Z.Phillips--SFF