Farage doesn't like Britain and is an 'enemy,' claims Starmer

By JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR

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Keir Starmer drew a furious reaction from Nigel Farage today after he accused him of not 'liking' or 'loving' Britain today. Despite an election probably being years away, the panicked PM used his keynote speech to party conference in Liverpool to talk up the threat posed by Reform and carve deep dividing lines. Arguing that the UK 'stands at a fork in the road' and can move towards 'decency or division', he urged Labour to 'fight' against the 'path of decline'.

Keir Starmer drew a furious reaction from Nigel Farage today after he accused him of not 'liking' or 'loving' Britain today. Despite an election probably being years away, the panicked PM used his keynote speech to party conference in Liverpool to talk up the threat posed by Reform and carve deep dividing lines. Arguing that the UK 'stands at a fork in the road' and can move towards 'decency or division', he urged Labour to 'fight' against the 'path of decline'.

He tagged Mr Farage an 'enemy of national renewal' and suggested he would say anything for popularity - dismissing the idea that the country is 'broken'. 'When was the last time you heard Nigel Farage say anything positive about Britain? He can't. He doesn't like Britain,' he said. Sir Keir delivered vicious barbs at 'politicians who lie to this country, unleash chaos and walked away after Brexit '. He questioned whether Mr Farage 'wants the country to fail'. 'Do they love our country? Do they want to serve our country, all of it... ? Or do they want to stir the pot of division?'

He tagged Mr Farage an 'enemy of national renewal' and suggested he would say anything for popularity - dismissing the idea that the country is 'broken'. 'When was the last time you heard Nigel Farage say anything positive about Britain? He can't. He doesn't like Britain,' he said. Sir Keir delivered vicious barbs at 'politicians who lie to this country, unleash chaos and walked away after Brexit '. He questioned whether Mr Farage 'wants the country to fail'. 'Do they love our country? Do they want to serve our country, all of it... ? Or do they want to stir the pot of division?'

In an immediate response from London, Mr Farage said the attack from Sir Keir 'will incite and encourage the radical left'. Highlighting the murder of Charlie Kirk in the US, he said the 'disgraceful' language 'directly threatens the safety' of Reform campaigners. However, the premier also sounded a tough message that left-wingers must accept 'uncomfortable' policies in areas such as immigration to appeal to voters. He nodded to nationalist sentiment by praising flags - wrapping up his address by telling activists awkwardly: 'Fly those flags!'

In an immediate response from London, Mr Farage said the attack from Sir Keir 'will incite and encourage the radical left'. Highlighting the murder of Charlie Kirk in the US, he said the 'disgraceful' language 'directly threatens the safety' of Reform campaigners. However, the premier also sounded a tough message that left-wingers must accept 'uncomfortable' policies in areas such as immigration to appeal to voters. He nodded to nationalist sentiment by praising flags - wrapping up his address by telling activists awkwardly: 'Fly those flags!'

And the Labour leader acknowledged the looming spectre of more agonising tax hikes at the Budget in November, saying the government must not try to 'avoid reality'. In an apparent hint at a fresh bid to curb welfare spending, Sir Keir said: 'A Labour Party that cannot control spending is a Labour Party that cannot govern in our times.' The 54-minute speech was greeted with an ovation in the hall, suggesting the PM might have bought a bit of breathing space after a devastating month that has seen damaging resignations and dire polls.

And the Labour leader acknowledged the looming spectre of more agonising tax hikes at the Budget in November, saying the government must not try to 'avoid reality'. In an apparent hint at a fresh bid to curb welfare spending, Sir Keir said: 'A Labour Party that cannot control spending is a Labour Party that cannot govern in our times.' The 54-minute speech was greeted with an ovation in the hall, suggesting the PM might have bought a bit of breathing space after a devastating month that has seen damaging resignations and dire polls.

But his attempts to hammer Mr Farage might yet backfire after Labour figures voiced alarm at his decision to brand Reform's immigration policy 'racist' in an interview on Sunday - a term Sir Keir did not repeat in his speech. Ministers have carefully avoided ruling out smashing Labour's manifesto promises not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT as Rachel Reeves faces an estimated £30billion black hole in the finances. However, Health Secretary Wes Streeting did move to quash suggestions that VAT could be added to private healthcare costs this morning.

But his attempts to hammer Mr Farage might yet backfire after Labour figures voiced alarm at his decision to brand Reform's immigration policy 'racist' in an interview on Sunday - a term Sir Keir did not repeat in his speech. Ministers have carefully avoided ruling out smashing Labour's manifesto promises not to increase income tax, national insurance or VAT as Rachel Reeves faces an estimated £30billion black hole in the finances. However, Health Secretary Wes Streeting did move to quash suggestions that VAT could be added to private healthcare costs this morning. 

However, Health Secretary Wes Streeting did move to quash suggestions that VAT could be added to private healthcare costs this Allies have been stressing there is no alternative to Sir Keir after Andy Burnham's nascent leadership push humiliatingly collapsed, and Angela Rayner was forced to resign. Sir Keir - who was introduced by Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall - told the conference: 'We can all see our country faces a choice, a defining choice. 'Britain stands at a fork in the road. We can choose decency. Or we can choose division.

However, Health Secretary Wes Streeting did move to quash suggestions that VAT could be added to private healthcare costs this Allies have been stressing there is no alternative to Sir Keir after Andy Burnham's nascent leadership push humiliatingly collapsed, and Angela Rayner was forced to resign. Sir Keir - who was introduced by Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall - told the conference: 'We can all see our country faces a choice, a defining choice. 'Britain stands at a fork in the road. We can choose decency. Or we can choose division.

'Renewal or decline. A country – proud of its values, in control of its future or one that succumbs, against the grain of our history, to the politics of grievance.' Sir Keir compared the challenge before Labour now to Clement Attlee's administration in 1945 as it rebuilt Britain from the ruins of the Second World War. The PM said: 'It is a test. A fight for the soul of our country, every bit as big as rebuilding Britain after the war, and we must all rise to this challenge. 'And yet we need to be clear that our path, the path of renewal, it's long, it's difficult, it requires decisions that are not cost-free or easy. Decisions that will not always be comfortable for our party.

'Renewal or decline. A country – proud of its values, in control of its future or one that succumbs, against the grain of our history, to the politics of grievance.' Sir Keir compared the challenge before Labour now to Clement Attlee's administration in 1945 as it rebuilt Britain from the ruins of the Second World War. The PM said: 'It is a test. A fight for the soul of our country, every bit as big as rebuilding Britain after the war, and we must all rise to this challenge. 'And yet we need to be clear that our path, the path of renewal, it's long, it's difficult, it requires decisions that are not cost-free or easy. Decisions that will not always be comfortable for our party.

'Yet at the end of this hard road there will be a new country, a fairer country, a land of dignity and respect. 'Everyone seen, everyone valued, wealth creation in every single community, working people in control of their public services, the mindless bureaucracy that chokes enterprise, removed – so we can build and keep on building.' Sir Keir insisted Britain can 'unite around a common good'. 'That's my ambition, the purpose of this government,' he said. 'End decline, reform our public services, grow our economy from the grassroots.' Rebuking those trying to lurch Labour to the Left, Sir Keir said some of his policies might not be 'comfortable'.

'Yet at the end of this hard road there will be a new country, a fairer country, a land of dignity and respect. 'Everyone seen, everyone valued, wealth creation in every single community, working people in control of their public services, the mindless bureaucracy that chokes enterprise, removed – so we can build and keep on building.' Sir Keir insisted Britain can 'unite around a common good'. 'That's my ambition, the purpose of this government,' he said. 'End decline, reform our public services, grow our economy from the grassroots.' Rebuking those trying to lurch Labour to the Left, Sir Keir said some of his policies might not be 'comfortable'.

'Controlling who comes here is an essential task of government and there's nothing compassionate or progressive in a vile trade that loads people on to overcrowded boats, puts them in grave danger in the Channel and ultimately exploits human desperation,' he said. Sir Keir said: 'I've had enough of lectures from self appointed spokespeople for working classes. 'Politicians who lie to this country, unleash chaos and walked away after Brexit. 'Labour is the party of working people. Labour is the patriotic party.' Sir Keir said: 'I'm not just proud of the Union Jack and the cross of St George, I'm also proud of the Saltire, proud of the Red Dragon, proud of our union – this astonishing relationship between four great nations.

'Controlling who comes here is an essential task of government and there's nothing compassionate or progressive in a vile trade that loads people on to overcrowded boats, puts them in grave danger in the Channel and ultimately exploits human desperation,' he said. Sir Keir said: 'I've had enough of lectures from self appointed spokespeople for working classes. 'Politicians who lie to this country, unleash chaos and walked away after Brexit. 'Labour is the party of working people. Labour is the patriotic party.' Sir Keir said: 'I'm not just proud of the Union Jack and the cross of St George, I'm also proud of the Saltire, proud of the Red Dragon, proud of our union – this astonishing relationship between four great nations.

'Four different nations, yes, but four nations that time and again have been through the fire, together, built so much, together. 'A country forged by the solidarity of working people. 'So, let's fly all our flags, conference, because they are our flags. They belong to all of us and we will never surrender them. 'And let's unite our country behind them, because this is no time for dividers. 'This is the time for bringing the whole country together. That's how we will fight next year's elections, as patriots of our great nations.' But he suggested there was a line where people descended into 'thuggery'. 'Free speech is a British value and we have guarded it for centuries, but if you incite racist violence and hatred, that is not expressing concern – it's criminal,' Sir Keir said.

'Four different nations, yes, but four nations that time and again have been through the fire, together, built so much, together. 'A country forged by the solidarity of working people. 'So, let's fly all our flags, conference, because they are our flags. They belong to all of us and we will never surrender them. 'And let's unite our country behind them, because this is no time for dividers. 'This is the time for bringing the whole country together. That's how we will fight next year's elections, as patriots of our great nations.' But he suggested there was a line where people descended into 'thuggery'. 'Free speech is a British value and we have guarded it for centuries, but if you incite racist violence and hatred, that is not expressing concern – it's criminal,' Sir Keir said.

'This party – this great party – is proud of our flags, yet if they are painted alongside graffiti, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to 'go home', that's not pride – that's racism. 'And, conference, if you say or imply that people cannot be English or British because of the colour of their skin, that mixed-heritage families owe you an explanation, that people who have lived here for generations, raised their children here, built lives here – working in our schools, our hospitals, running businesses – our neighbours, if you say they should now be deported, then mark my words, we will fight you with everything we have because you are an enemy of national renewal.' Sir Keir said the government's fiscal rules were 'non-negotiable', stressing that 'difficult decisions' had been made on tax at the last Budget that 'asked a lot' of the public.

'This party – this great party – is proud of our flags, yet if they are painted alongside graffiti, telling a Chinese takeaway owner to 'go home', that's not pride – that's racism. 'And, conference, if you say or imply that people cannot be English or British because of the colour of their skin, that mixed-heritage families owe you an explanation, that people who have lived here for generations, raised their children here, built lives here – working in our schools, our hospitals, running businesses – our neighbours, if you say they should now be deported, then mark my words, we will fight you with everything we have because you are an enemy of national renewal.' Sir Keir said the government's fiscal rules were 'non-negotiable', stressing that 'difficult decisions' had been made on tax at the last Budget that 'asked a lot' of the public.

'You can choose to rebuild our public service, choose investment over austerity. That's the choice we made at the last Budget,' he said. 'A hard choice. Difficult decisions on taxation. But conference – that's the choice that we made.' Although the speech was light on policy, Sir Keir announced that the target of 50 per cent of youngsters going to university would be replaced with a mark of two-thirds doing a degree or 'gold standard apprenticeship'. 'Some politicians say, 'I want every child to have the same opportunities that I had',' he said. 'You hear a lot of that in Westminster, but that's not me, though.

'You can choose to rebuild our public service, choose investment over austerity. That's the choice we made at the last Budget,' he said. 'A hard choice. Difficult decisions on taxation. But conference – that's the choice that we made.' Although the speech was light on policy, Sir Keir announced that the target of 50 per cent of youngsters going to university would be replaced with a mark of two-thirds doing a degree or 'gold standard apprenticeship'. 'Some politicians say, 'I want every child to have the same opportunities that I had',' he said. 'You hear a lot of that in Westminster, but that's not me, though.

'What I want is a Britain where people are treated with the dignity that they deserve for making different choices. Choices our country needs, choices we should value, choices that deserve our respect. 'And so, conference, while you will never hear me denigrate the aspiration to go to university, I don't think the way we currently measure success in education – that ambition to get 50 per cent of kids to uni – I don't think that's right for our times, because if you're a kid or a parent of a kid who chooses an apprenticeship, what does it say to you? Do we genuinely as a country afford them the same respect? 'Because we should, but I can't help feeling that my dad was right.

'What I want is a Britain where people are treated with the dignity that they deserve for making different choices. Choices our country needs, choices we should value, choices that deserve our respect. 'And so, conference, while you will never hear me denigrate the aspiration to go to university, I don't think the way we currently measure success in education – that ambition to get 50 per cent of kids to uni – I don't think that's right for our times, because if you're a kid or a parent of a kid who chooses an apprenticeship, what does it say to you? Do we genuinely as a country afford them the same respect? 'Because we should, but I can't help feeling that my dad was right.

'So, conference, today I can announce we will scrap that target and replace it with a new ambition that two-thirds of our children should go either to university or take a gold standard apprenticeship.' Fresh divisions have been emerging at the top of Labour over the PM's claim that Mr Farage's immigration plans are 'racist'. London mayor Sadiq Khan said he would not use the 'really loaded word' about Reform, adding: 'I don't call the followers of Reform racist, I don't call Nigel Farage racist.' But Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, asked whether she thought Mr Farage was racist, said: 'It's hard to escape the conclusion that because many of the things that he does and says, I think, drift into racism - it's hard to escape that conclusion.'

'So, conference, today I can announce we will scrap that target and replace it with a new ambition that two-thirds of our children should go either to university or take a gold standard apprenticeship.' Fresh divisions have been emerging at the top of Labour over the PM's claim that Mr Farage's immigration plans are 'racist'. London mayor Sadiq Khan said he would not use the 'really loaded word' about Reform, adding: 'I don't call the followers of Reform racist, I don't call Nigel Farage racist.' But Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, asked whether she thought Mr Farage was racist, said: 'It's hard to escape the conclusion that because many of the things that he does and says, I think, drift into racism - it's hard to escape that conclusion.'

Mr Streeting pointed to Reform leaflets suggesting Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar would 'prioritise the interests of the Pakistani community'. 'If Nigel Farage allows that to go out from his party, what does that make him?' Mr Streeting told Times Radio. Mr Farage has dismissed Keir Starmer's claim that Reform's immigration plans are 'racist', branding it an insult to the British public and evidence that the PM is panicking about the polls. Sir Keir promised a technological revolution for the NHS, with a new 'online hospital' for patients in England aimed at cutting waiting lists and providing quicker treatment and advice.

Mr Streeting pointed to Reform leaflets suggesting Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar would 'prioritise the interests of the Pakistani community'. 'If Nigel Farage allows that to go out from his party, what does that make him?' Mr Streeting told Times Radio. Mr Farage has dismissed Keir Starmer's claim that Reform's immigration plans are 'racist', branding it an insult to the British public and evidence that the PM is panicking about the polls. Sir Keir promised a technological revolution for the NHS, with a new 'online hospital' for patients in England aimed at cutting waiting lists and providing quicker treatment and advice.

The scheme, which will begin operating in 2027, will deliver up to 8.5 million extra NHS appointments in its first three years, Labour claimed. Those who use the service will be able to access and track prescriptions, be referred for scans and tests, and receive clinical advice on managing their condition. Patients who require a physical test or a procedure will be able to book them on the NHS app at a nearby hospital, surgical hub or community diagnostic centre. Sir Keir described it as 'a new chapter in the story of our NHS, harnessing the future, patients in control'.

The scheme, which will begin operating in 2027, will deliver up to 8.5 million extra NHS appointments in its first three years, Labour claimed. Those who use the service will be able to access and track prescriptions, be referred for scans and tests, and receive clinical advice on managing their condition. Patients who require a physical test or a procedure will be able to book them on the NHS app at a nearby hospital, surgical hub or community diagnostic centre. Sir Keir described it as 'a new chapter in the story of our NHS, harnessing the future, patients in control'.

Nigel FarageLabourWes StreetingKeir Starmer

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