Keir Starmer was forced to defend his plans on a 'soft launch' in Essex (Image: Getty)
Labour would make everything in Britain “worse”, top Tories have warned.
“Serial promise breaker” Sir Keir Starmer set out his vision for Government in a soft campaign launch speech covering the economy, NHS, borders, education, climate change and crime.
But Conservatives branded his pledges “window dressing” and said the speech, at a rally in Essex, was “noticeable for its shallowness and vacuousness”.
And Sir Keir was forced to deny he had scaled back his ambitions, after previously pledging “the highest sustained economic growth in the G7 by the end of Labours first term”.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer at a rally in Essex (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer unveiled his six "first steps" during a speech in Essex (Image: Getty)
Dame Priti Patel told the Daily Express: “It all looks deeply meaningless, full of window dressing and unambiguous.
“As well as trying to rebrand the Clandestine Channel Threat Command in his speech today, Starmer also lacks ambition on education. 6,500 teachers is marginal.
“There are already over 468,000 full time equivalents teaching in England and last year 2,800 more were added, with the pipeline suggesting more coming through than retiring/leaving. If that trend continues, Labour's pledge is meaningless.
“His soft launch is directionless and lacks any substance on delivery.”
Tory MP Bob Seely told the Daily Express: “Keir Starmer’s speech was noticeable for its shallowness and vacuousness. There isn’t a single challenge facing our country that Labour won’t make worse. We need to stick to the plan, not change to a party that doesn’t have one.”
Richard Holden, Conservative Party Chairman, added: “Today’s speech was devoid of any plan for Britain. Sir Keir Starmer is a serial promise breaker who doesn’t have the courage or conviction to stick to a single a pledge he has ever made – just look at his last pledge card, which he abandoned the second he got the chance.
“His unfunded spending, higher taxes and amnesty for illegal migrants would take Britain back to square one.
“Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives are sticking with the plan to build a brighter future for British families, with inflation down from 11.1 per cent to 3.2 per cent, the economy growing and ￡900 back in hard-working people’s pockets – as well as a fair immigration system with boat crossings down.”
The Labour leader, at a rally in Essex, unveiled a pledge card with the six "first steps" his party would take if it were to win power.
The steps include measures to invest in the NHS, education and policing, to set up a new national energy company and an elite border force, and to promote economic stability.
Labour said it would cut NHS waiting lists by introducing another 40,000 appointments every week, deliver economic stability and recruit 6,500 more teachers. It has also vowed to introduce a Border Security Command to stop the boats and a publicly-owned power company - Great British Energy.
The shadow cabinet joined Sir Keir for the speech in Essex (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir defended his u-turns and insisted there was not a lack of ambition (Image: Getty)
Trending
SUBSCRIBE Invalid email
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
But Sir Keir was challenged over his previous pledge to highest economic growth in the G7.
He said: “I’m not scaling back our ambition at all. The way I’ve set this out, it’s a strategy I’ve been operating to for four years which is a strategy which was first to recognise the scale of the defeat of the Labour Party at the last General Election, the worst defeat since 1935.
“Stage One was ‘change the Labour Party. Turn it inside out, facing the country and serving working people.
“Next stage, expose the Government as incompetent. The next stage… What are your big ideas for the country. This is not reducing the missions. It is to say, what is the first down payment on the delivery of those missions? What are the first steps we can take?
“We’re not reducing the mission. We are saying these are the first steps we will take, in order to deliver the missions.”
Asked what he would say to critics who may label him a “copycat Blair”, Sir Keir said: “The first thing I would say about Tony Blair which is more important than whether he took his tie off is he won three elections in a row.
“In that way there are similarities because I do think you have got to glimpse the future, you have got to understand the challenges... but it is not copycat because we are now what 27 years on from 1997. The challenges we face now are not the same as those faced by Tony Blair.”
Sir Keir was also forced to defend his u-turns on the pledges made when he ran for the Labour leadership in 2020.
He told reporters: “What I said was, ‘I will put us in a position to win the general election’, and I’ve been working hard at that for four and a bit years.
“That’s what Labour Party members and supporters want more than anything else.”
Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party, James Daly said: "After 16 attempts Labour is still offering nothing to hardworking Brits but empty promises, meaningless words, and countless clichés.
“Sir Keir is nothing but a human weathervane. He has no principles, no plan and would take Britain right back to square one.
“Meanwhile our plan is working, with inflation down, boat crossings down, and a ￡900 tax cut back in hard-working people’s pockets."
Sir Keir also sounded a note of caution about his willingness to make pre-election spending commitments when asked if he would rethink Labour's position on the two-child benefit cap as a means towards ending child poverty.
The Labour leader said ending child poverty would be "central" to his party in power, but added: "What I can't do is make promises that I can't deliver on."
DON'T MISS
Powered by
Tories issue stark warning as Keir Starmer unveils Labour's small boats plan
1554 Comments
Esther McVey's five-word pledge over civil service 'wokeness' in first speech in new role
166 Comments
Richard Holden insists ‘Tories can still win this election'
57 Comments
Brexit bonanza as Kemi Badenoch unveils ten-point plan to slash EU-era red tape
574 Comments
Brits fear family breakdown driving mental ill-health
34 Comments
Jacob Rees-Mogg issues grave warning to Tories and sets out only way to win election
548 Comments
Parents face ￡14,000 annual bill to support children at university
4 Comments
Wales shows why Labour can't be trusted to get a grip on immigration
29 Comments
Fury as Labour lines up ‘heinous' 55% pension tax on savers who ‘do the right thing'
1446 Comments
Keir Starmer faces three tests on if he has 'surrendered' to Angela Rayner over new laws
163 Comments
Finger-jabbing Mr Sunak warns Labour leader is 'soft on defence and soft on crime'
99 Comments
Tories issue stark warning as Keir Starmer unveils Labour's small boats plan
1554 Comments
Esther McVey's five-word pledge over civil service 'wokeness' in first speech in new role
166 Comments
Richard Holden insists ‘Tories can still win this election'
57 Comments
Brexit bonanza as Kemi Badenoch unveils ten-point plan to slash EU-era red tape
574 Comments
Brits fear family breakdown driving mental ill-health
34 Comments
Jacob Rees-Mogg issues grave warning to Tories and sets out only way to win election
548 Comments
Parents face ￡14,000 annual bill to support children at university
4 Comments
Wales shows why Labour can't be trusted to get a grip on immigration
29 Comments
Fury as Labour lines up ‘heinous' 55% pension tax on savers who ‘do the right thing'
1446 Comments
Keir Starmer faces three tests on if he has 'surrendered' to Angela Rayner over new laws
163 Comments
Finger-jabbing Mr Sunak warns Labour leader is 'soft on defence and soft on crime'
99 Comments
Tories issue stark warning as Keir Starmer unveils Labour's small boats plan
1554 Comments
Esther McVey's five-word pledge over civil service 'wokeness' in first speech in new role
166 Comments
Richard Holden insists ‘Tories can still win this election'
57 Comments
Related articles Fury as Labour lines up ‘heinous’ 55% pension tax on savers who ‘do right thing' Starmer’s six-point plan for UK blasted for 'high taxes' and 'unfunded' promises Angela Rayner mocked for demanding Jeremy Hunt comes clean about legal advice Boots boss endorses Labour as Keir Starmer unveils party's election pledges It's Rishi Sunak 1 Keir Starmer 0 as Labour leader's big day flops