UK leader Starmer aims to shed gloomy image by saying things will get better — eventually

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer tried to shake off his image as a gloom-monger on Tuesday, telling voters exhausted by years of political and economic turmoil that better times are on the way — if they swallow his recipe of short-term pain for long-term gain.

Starmer capped Labour’s first annual conference since winning a landslide election victory in July with a speech arguing that things will be “tough in the short term” but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Some members of the center-left party say Starmer has made that dark tunnel longer by delivering downbeat messages about the economy since becoming Britain’s first Labour prime minister for 14 years. That and a distracting row about freebies have overshadowed what should be a celebratory gathering for thousands of party members in the northwest England port city of Liverpool.

A country tired of politics

“I know this country is exhausted by and with politics,” Starmer said. He promised to deliver “national renewal” but said he wouldn’t offer “false hope” about the cost and the difficult tradeoffs involved.

“Just because we all want low taxes and good public services, does not mean that the iron law of properly funding policies can be ignored,” Starmer said.

He pledged to take “tough” decisions — code for public spending restraint and tax increases — to achieve economic growth to fund schools, hospitals, roads, railways and more. Starmer acknowledged some of those decisions would be unpopular, but said “we will turn our collar up and face the storm.”

“If the last few years have shown us anything, it’s that if you bury your head because things are difficult, your country goes backwards,” he said.

Low approval ratings

Starmer won the election on a promise to banish years of turmoil and scandal under Conservative governments, get Britain’s sluggish economy growing and restore frayed public services such as the state-funded National Health Service.

The government is gambling that voters give the government time to show results. But with polls suggesting Starmer’s approval ratings have plummeted, anxiety about missteps has clouded the mood among Labour members gathered beside the River Mersey in a rain-drenched Liverpool for the four-day conference.

Soon after taking office Starmer announced there is a 22-billion-pound ($29 billion) “black hole” in the public finances left by the previous Conservative government. One of the government’s first acts was to strip millions of retirees of a payment intended to help heat their homes in winter. Starmer hinted in his speech that he would impose tighter rules for welfare recipients.

The party’s mood has also been dampened by a tempest over Starmer’s acceptance of freebies at a time when millions of people are struggling with the cost of living. Starmer insists he followed the rules when he took thousands of pounds worth of clothes and designer eyeglasses from a wealthy Labour donor, but the story generated days of negative headlines.

Cabinet minister Pat McFadden, who ran Labour’s election campaign, said the government would not be derailed by criticism.

“I’m not going to pretend to anyone in this room that I’ve enjoyed some of the headlines and stories over the last week ,” he told a meeting at the conference. “But nor am I going to allow them to define the government.”

International challenges

The clothes episode, and another over the salary of Starmer’s top aide, are unwelcome distractions for a government taking office as tensions spiral in the Middle East and the 2 1/2-year-old war in Ukraine grinds on.

Starmer vowed to retain Britain’s “steadfast” military, humanitarian and diplomatic support for Kyiv, urged an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and called for “all parties to step back from the brink” amid mounting strikes in both directions across the Israel-Lebanon border.

In July’s election, Labour lost several seats it had been expected to win to independent candidates critical of the party’s initial refusal to call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.

The issue continues to be difficult for the party. Starmer was briefly interrupted by a heckler shouting about Gaza, who was quicky escorted out by security staff. Earlier Tuesday, attempted to write “Genocide conference” at the entrance to the convention center

A personal approach

The hour-long speech fleshed out how Starmer views his personal brand of measured, moderate politics. It provided strikingly personal detail about a politician often called dull and managerial, as Starmer spoke of his childhood love of the flute and the landscape of England’s Lake District.

The speech was peppered with words including joy, wonder and calm, as he argued that economic stability and growth would let people “focus on the little things they love in life, not the anxiety and security we have now.”

He also rejected populism and divisiveness he said marked many politicians on the right, condemning the “racist thugs” involved in anti-immigrant violence during the summer and arguing that Britain is a nation of tolerance and fairness.

Starmer received rapturous applause by delegates delighted that the party is back in power, even if some were anxious about the party’s direction.

Julian Allam was underwhelmed with the speech, and would have liked more detail on how the government would help low-income families, though he said Starmer “delivered it well.”

Delegate Bridie McCreesh branded the speech “brilliant,” even though she regretted the decision on winter fuel payments.

“Housing, schools, the national health, public services — if they can achieve all that I’ll be more than happy,” she said.

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press