Starmer uses keynote speech to offer light amid gloom of fiscal black hole

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Over the course of a wide-ranging speech, the key moments were: – Sir Keir insisted “staying the course” and “keeping a cool head” during challenging times will be better for the country in the long term than “easy answers.” He attempted to lay out why short-term pain is necessary in order to reap long-term benefits and, following concerns over how long Britain will suffer for before the picture brightens, said “change has begun” already. – A heckler who interrupted his speech was met with a prepared joke about the Jeremy Corbyn era from the Prime Minister, following an incident at last year’s annual conference when he was sprayed with glitter by a protester during his speech, with Sir Keir responding on Tuesday: “This guy’s obviously got a pass to the 2019 conference.” – But a renewed appeal for the release of hostages in Gaza was delivered less smoothly, with the Prime Minister instead calling for the release of the “sausages” in remarks that were swiftly clipped up on social media by the Tories. – Sir Keir joined Chancellor Rachel Reeves in doubling down on the Government’s decision to means-test the winter fuel payment, insisting “every pensioner will be better off with Labour”, but adding that he understands people’s concerns.