Proper news from Britain - News from Britain you won’t find anywhere else. Not the tosh the big media force-feed you every day!
By JAMIE BULLEN, LIVE COVERAGE EDITOR and JAMES TAPSFIELD, UK POLITICAL EDITOR and GREG HEFFER, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT and DAVID WILCOCK, DEPUTY POLITICAL EDITOR and SAM CHISHOLM
Updated:
Andy Burnham has hit out at claims he is 'disloyal' and 'completely out for myself' after revealing Labour MPs are encouraging him to challenge Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership.
The Greater Manchester Mayor blamed 'overwritten' and 'inaccurate' reporting over his apparent ambition to lead the party's fight against Reform following interviews he gave last week.
Mr Burnham also refused to guarantee he will remain in Manchester for the remainder of his mayoralty, despite insisting he doesn't miss Westminster.
His remarks come after Rachel Reeves admitted Britain's economy faces further challenges amid increasing fears of tax rises in the upcoming Budget .
The Chancellor appeared bullish as she insisted the public finances were not 'broken' but face threats posed by 'harsh global headwinds' in a speech that was briefly interrupted by a pro-Palestine activist.
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Thanks for following our coverage of the Labour Party conference as we wrap up our live updates here.
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Mahmood warns working-classes will reject Labour if it cannot grip immigration
Working-class communities will turn away from Labour and 'seek solace in the false promises of Farage' if the Government fails to get control of the migration issue, the Home Secretary has said.
Shabana Mahmood told the conference:
They will turn towards something smaller, something narrower, something less welcoming, and the division within this country will grow. So, the challenge we now face is this, not just to win the next election, but to keep the country together and to fight for our belief in a greater Britain, not a littler England.
That work begins at our borders, where we must restore order and control. We will always remain a country that gives refuge to those who are fleeing peril, but we can only be open to the world if we are able to determine who comes in and who must leave. It is clear there is more work to be done.
Shabana Mahmood - Unite the Kingdom rally shows Britain's story is contested
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has told the Labour conference the Unite the Kingdom rally shows Britain's story is being contested.
She described some of those who took to the streets of London earlier this month as 'heirs to the skinheads and the P***-bashers of old'.
She told the Labour Party conference:
Just days into this job, on the 13 of September, 150,000 people marched through London.
They did so under the banner of a convicted criminal and a former BNP (British National Party) member. While not everyone was violent, some were, 26 police officers were injured as they tried to keep the peace. And while not everyone chanted racist slogans, some did. Clear that in their view of this country, I have no place.
It would be easy to dismiss this as nothing but an angry minority, heirs to the skinheads and the P***-bashers of old, and make no mistake, some were. But to dismiss what happened that day would be to ignore something bigger, something broader, that is happening across this country. The story of who we are is contested.
Burnham says timing not right for digital ID and backs rejoining EU
Andy Burnham said now was not the right time for digital ID.
In a quickfire round of questions at an event hosted by the Guardian Politics podcast live, he was asked whether he backed digital ID, and said: 'Not now.'
Asked to pick between Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) or HS2, he said NPR, and between Green leader Zack Polanski and Liberal Democrat Sir Ed Davey he said he would be 'somewhere in the middle'.
And on rejoining the EU, he said:
Long term, I’m going to be honest, I’m going to say it… I hope in my lifetime I see this country rejoin. People prosper more when they’re part of unions.
Lammy becomes latest minister to slam Reform's 'racist' migration policy
David Lammy became the latest Labour frontbencher to brand Reform migration policy 'racist', following the Keir Starmer's lead.
Speaking about the party’s leader, Nigel Farage, the Deputy Prime Minister claimed French people would be deported under Reform’s plans.
He wraps himself in our flag, but his policies don’t match British values. We must call his scheme to round up and deport our French, our Indian, our Caribbean neighbours, who already have indefinite leave to remain what it is – it is racist – and say not in our country, not in our name, not in our time.
Reform has previously said the plan to scrap indefinite leave would only apply to those not from the EU.
Mr Lammy also took a shot at the Tories, saying shadow lord chancellor Robert Jenrick’s attacks on judges would 'make Winston Churchill shudder in his grave'.
Robert, patriotism isn’t smearing our independent judiciary from a pub on X. It’s standing up for the rule of law.
David Lammy - Justice Secretary 'feels like coming home'
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has said taking on the role of Justice Secretary 'feels like coming home' for him.
Mr Lammy said:
Justice has been the constant thread throughout my life. Growing up in the shadow of Tottenham’s Broadwater Farm Estate in (Margaret) Thatcher’s Britain – it wasn’t easy.
I was stopped and searched by the police. I saw too many people who look like me who ended up on the wrong side of the law. But education gave me a different path – I studied law, I practised as a young lawyer, I served as a minister, I led the review into racial disparities in the justice system, I shadowed the justice secretary in opposition. This is not just another brief for me – it feels like coming home.
Mr Lammy said that in his role, his 'starting point is Magna Carta – no-one is above the law, no-one should have justice delayed, no-one should have justice denied'.
Angela Rayner 'sad' to be absent from Labour conference
Angela Rayner has told how she's 'sad' to be absent from this year's Labour conference after she resigned from the Government earlier this month.
The former deputy prime minister and housing secretary has responded to MPs praising her in Liverpool and insisted she will continue 'fighting for working people'.
Ms Rayner quit the frontbench after the Prime Minister's ethics adviser found she breached the ministerial code for underpaying stamp duty on her new flat in Hove.
Labour Party conference: What's coming up?
We've heard from several Cabinet ministers today with Yvette Cooper, John Healey, Rachel Reeves and Bridget Phillipson all delivering their conference speeches.
And there's still some big names to come this hour.
3:30pm: Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood
3:45pm: Science Secretary Liz Kendall
4pm: Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy
Stick with us as we bring you the latest updates from Liverpool.
Andy Burnham hits out at suggestion he's 'disloyal'
Andy Burnham hit back at suggestions he was only out for himself, saying 'it sticks in my throat somewhat'.
The Greater Manchester Mayor said he wanted to address the fact that 'the sense is I’m sort of completely out for myself, disloyal' citing behind-the-scenes discussions he says he has been having to ensure the Hillsborough law could be strengthened.
He told an event organised by the Guardian Politics podcast live:
It sticks in my throat somewhat for people who have just arrived on the scene to be throwing some of the comments at me that they have done. I did everything that I possibly could (have) to make this conference a success.
Burnham - I've not missed Westminster
Mr Burnham has refused to guarantee he would remain in his mayoralty for the rest of his term but said 'you would have to wrench' him out of Greater Manchester.
Asked whether he would stay in his position until the end of the term, the mayor told an event hosted by the Guardian Politics podcast live:
I am committed to my role as mayor of Greater Manchester. I can’t predict the future.
Referring to Westminster, he claimed:
I’ve not missed it much because I love what we’ve been doing in Greater Manchester.
Andy Burnham suggests leadership speculation is result of 'inaccurate' reporting
Andy Burnham has suggested speculation about his ambitions had partly stemmed from 'overwritten' and 'inaccurate' reporting, while refusing to say whether he had spoken to MPs about the prospect of of a leadership bid.
The Greater Manchester Mayor said there were 'plenty of conversations I have with MPs all the time and I don’t think it was quite as the headline suggested'.
He insisted it was 'inaccurate' to say he had suggested he would borrow £40 billion more.
Mr Burnham told an event hosted by the Guardian Politics podcast live:
There’s no ability for me to launch… I’m not going to go and say every conversation I have with every MP. I can’t launch a leadership campaign, I’m not in parliament, so that is the bottom line.
Bridget Phillipson - Labour turning universities away from political battleground
The Conservatives treated universities 'as a political battleground, not a public good', Bridget Phillipson has told the Labour conference.
The Education Secretary and Labour Party deputy leadership contender said the party was putting institutions back in the service of 'working-class young people'.
Ms Phillipson went on to announce new targeted maintenance grants for disadvantaged students.
The Tories treated our amazing universities as a political battleground, not a public good. Labour is putting them back in the service of working-class young people.
Britain's top elections guru has warned there seems to be no way back for Keir Starmer from his record low ratings.
Professor John Curtice gave an apocalyptic assessment of Labour's situation in a briefing at the party's annual conference.
With polls showing Reform on track for power and Sir Keir's own ratings at a record low, Sir John suggested the Angela Rayner and Lord Mandelson resignations had not had much impact. However, that was only because the problems were already so bad.
And he cautioned that even after 15 months in power voters still did not know what Sir Keir stood for or thought on key issues.
Asked whether there was any hope that Labour could turn it around, Sir John replied: 'The honest answer to that is no.'
He added that 'clearly, if by 2029 the economy is turned around and if by 2029 the waiting lists are way, way back down', Labour might be able to recover its position.
But he cast doubt on whether Sir Keir would be the leader to achieve such a turnaround.
Andy Burnham - I've only launched debate on how to beat Reform
Andy Burnham has insisted the 'only thing' he has done is start a debate on how Labour can beat Reform as he batted away questions about the party leadership.
Asked whether he has ambitions to lead Labour at an event hosted by the Guardian Politics podcast live in Liverpool, he said:
The only thing I’ve launched is a debate about how do we get a plan together to beat Reform. I am of course talking about the general election but May 2026 is right in front of us now.
He said from talking to people in Greater Manchester and elsewhere, he knew that 'there’s a calling for more to take to the doorstep. That’s really what we need to do'.
The Greater Manchester mayor said the populist right are 'putting big things on the table' and that a response was needed.
Mr Burnham added:
While the Government’s done good things, I don’t think it’s come together yet as that powerful story of the future of Britain.
Police not involved after Reeves' speech disrupted
Merseyside Police have said there was 'no police involvement' after a pro-Palestine heckler interrupted Rachel Reeves’ Labour conference speech.
The Chancellor was setting out measures Labour had taken to protect key British industries as the audience member in Liverpool began shouting about the 'mass starvation of Palestinians'.
He was removed from the hall and the incident was dealt with by internal security staff, the force said.
Tories claims jobs, savings and pensions are 'not safe' under Labour
Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride has claimed 'nothing is safe' under Labour including jobs, savings and pensions.
Responding to the Chancellor’s speech, he said:
Rachel Reeves says she won’t risk the public finances but she’s already doing that – with more borrowing, higher spending, and more taxes.
Labour has raised taxes by £40 billion per year, including a £25 billion tax on jobs, and now won’t rule out coming back for more.
Labour refuse to tackle rising welfare costs and won’t commit to keeping the two-child benefit cap – just like Reform.
Labour spends more, taxes more, and blames others when things go wrong. Under them, nothing is safe – not your job, savings, or pension.
Darren Jones refuses to rule out tax rises in Budget
Senior Labour minister Darren Jones would not rule out the possibility of tax rises in the Budget.
Asked by Sky News if the party’s manifesto commitment to not raise VAT, national insurance or income tax still stood following Rachel Reeves’ speech at Labour’s annual conference, the Prime Minister’s Chief Secretary replied:
Well, the truth is, today the manifesto stands.
Pressed whether he could rule out tax rises, Mr Jones replied:
I am not ruling anything out, or anything in. All I’m saying is today the manifesto stands. We’ve got a Budget process to go through, and any decisions will be announced to Parliament in the normal way.
When Mr Jones was then asked if the commitment would still remain in place following the Budget in November, he replied:
I’m saying it stands. And if you look at our actions in the last budget, through the spring statement, through the spending review, we honoured those commitments, and we’re going to keep doing so.
Rachel Reeves' conference speech: What did Chancellor announce?
Ms Reeves has finished her address at the Labour Party conference which contained a raft of announcements from the Government.
Let's take a look at what they include:
Youth Guarantee
Every eligible young person who has been on Universal Credit for 18 months without earning or learning will be offered guaranteed paid work through a new Youth Guarantee.
School libraries
The Chancellor has also committed over £10 million in funding to guarantee a library for all primary schools by the end of this parliament.
Covid fraud
As part of the Chancellor’s plans to recover lost Covid funds it was confirmed that a new investigations team will go after fraudulent Bounce Back Loan claimants.
Public procurement
Plans to reform public procurement to back British suppliers – supporting economic growth, creating jobs and providing British businesses with greater security – have also been announced with new legislation announced to help protect Britain's national security interests.
EU mobility
The chancellor also says the government is working with the EU to secure an 'ambitious agreement' on youth mobility.
Reeves urges Labour members to 'have faith' in final remarks
Rachel Reeves urged Labour party members to 'have faith' in her closing remarks in Liverpool.
She told the conference the party should not be deterred 'whatever the challenges'.
I can see the destination if we stay true to our course, a Britain where every child can flourish, no matter their background or their parents’ jobs or where they grow up – and never let anyone tell you that there’s no difference between a Labour government and a Conservative government.
There is further to go, but whatever tests confront us, have faith because our party and our country have overcome greater challenges than these. Have faith because the opportunity to serve is what we came into this for.
The Chancellor was embraced by Sir Keir Starmer following the end of her conference speech.
Reeves hints at tax rises in Budget with more 'challenges' for economy
Rachel Reeves has signalled possible tax rises in her upcoming Budget as she acknowledged Britain faces more challenges over the economy.
The Chancellor said she recognised the past year had 'brought its fair share of challenges for our party and our country' and warned 'they won’t be the last'.
This year has brought its fair share of challenges for our party and our country. They won’t be the last. We’ve turned our backs on the path of decline, and we’ve chosen investment, but there is further to go.
“So yes, I’m proud that under our watch, Britain has been the fastest growing economy in the G7, but is there more to do if we want prosperity in every part of Britain? Absolutely.
The Chancellor's speech has now concluded.
Pro-Palestine groups claim responsibility for Reeves stunt
Palestine Youth Movement and London for a Free Palestine have claimed responsibility after a pro-Palestine heckler interrupted Rachel Reeves’ Labour Party Conference speech.
At the start of the Chancellor's keynote address, a member of the audience in Liverpool began shouting about the 'mass starvation of Palestinians'.
According to the two groups, the activist, named 'Sam P', stood up with a large Palestinian flag and said: 'Why is Britain still arming Israel?'
In a statement issued by the protest groups following the disruption, the activist said:
It’s unbearable to watch this British-backed genocide unfolding on our screens while Labour carries on with business as usual. We should do whatever we can to push for an end to the atrocities.
It is understood the heckler was removed from the hall by security and handed over to Merseyside Police.
Reeves - Patriotism not measured in how loudly you shout
Rachel Reeves says patriotism is not measured in 'how loudly you shout' as she set out the party's values in her conference speech.
She told the crowd in Liverpool that being patriotic wasn't about 'how quick you are to exclude, how loudly you shout, how willing you are to exploit every division and distort every challenge that we face.'
She added patriotism should be measured in an 'obstinate determination, our impatience, our commitment to building a better, fairer, more prosperous Britain'.
That is our patriotic mission, those are our Labour values, those are our British values, and we will fight for them.
Reeves - Reform poses 'greatest threat' to livelihoods
Reeves becomes the latest Cabinet minister to take aim at Nigel Farage, telling the Labour conference his agenda presents the 'single greatest threat' to livelihoods.
She tells the conference:
The single greatest threat to our way of life and to the living standards of working people is the agenda of Nigel Farage and the Reform party.
Whatever falsehoods they push, whatever easy answers they peddle, however willing they are to tear communities and families apart, they are not on the side of working people. This is a fight that we must win, and it is a fight that we will win.
Reeves sets sights on rebuilding economy in Labour's second year
Labour’s second year in power 'must be about building a renewed economy', Rachel Reeves said.
The Chancellor told Labour’s annual conference there was 'nothing progressive, nothing Labour, about Government using one in every £10 of public money it spends on financing debt interest'.
In the months ahead, we will face further tests, with the choices to come made all the harder by harsh global headwinds and the long-term damage done to our economy, which is becoming ever clearer.
Our first year in power was about fixing the foundations. Our second must be about building a renewed economy for a renewed Britain: A renewed economy that works for working people and rewards their contribution. A renewed economy, where we reject austerity and support public services.
Chancellor insists she will not take risks with economy in swipe at Andy Burnham
Rachel Reeves has said she will 'not take risks' with the economy and said 'harsh global headwinds' were making her job harder.
In what could be seen as a swipe at Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, she said there remained those who would 'too readily forget' reckless economic choices.
When I said we must not and would not take risks with Britain's economic stability, that argument was not just for an election.
Even now, with the global uncertainty we have seen ripple through financial markets, there are still critics out there who would too readily forget the consequences of reckless economic choices.
Mr Burnham said Labour needed to stop being 'in hock' to the bond markets in a move many saw as him calling on the party to release its fiscal constraints.
Reeves - Northern Powerhouse Rail is vote of confidence for the north
Labour will 'push ahead' with Northern Powerhouse Rail, the Chancellor has told the party’s annual conference.
Rachel Reeves said:
As well as the Transpennine route upgrade to link Manchester, Leeds and York and the towns in between them, this Labour Government will push ahead with our plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail.
A vote of confidence in the north of England to get people to work, to connect families, to create jobs and to build build prosperity in towns and cities scarred by underinvestment for far too long.
Reeves - I reject claims economy is broken
Reeves says she 'fundamentally' rejects the Conservative and Reform UK position that the economy is broken.
She told the Labour Party conference:
The Conservatives and Reform they want you to believe that our economy is broken, that our best days lie behind us, the decline is inevitable. I fundamentally reject that. It’s not the country I see around me, not the future that I believe in.
I know that things are still difficult, bills are too high, getting ahead can feel tough, and there are still too many obstacles in the way for businesses. And so, our central economic objective is to change that. Growth to improve living standards is a challenge, and investment is a solution.
Reeves to unleash 'new hit squad' to recover Covid fraud
The Chancellor has promised to unleash what she described as a 'new hit squad' to recover money missing following contracts handed out during the coronavirus pandemic.
Reeves says almost £400 million has already been recovered from 'covid fraud' with more powers now available to investigators to recover more from fraudsters.
She tells the crowd:
I can tell you today that to deploy those new powers, we are recruiting a new hit squad to investigate and recover all the money that is owed to the British people.
Reeves pledges to put library in every primary school
The Chancellor has confirmed Labour plans to put a library in every single primary school in England by the end of this parliament.
Reeves says there are around 1,700 primary schools without a library at the moment.
Talking about her own childhood, she recalled how her school library was converted into a classroom because of a lack of space.
She told the conference:
Think about the message that sends about a government's priorities. How little value is placed on opportunities for kids to learn and to grow, to explore their interests independently, or to find the quiet space to study that isn't always on offer at home.
Rachel Reeves' big Labour conference speech was disrupted by a pro-Gaza protest today as she fuelled fears over Budget tax hikes.
The Chancellor was interrupted by shouts from the audience in Liverpool about 'genocide' and the 'mass starvation of Palestinians'.
But after saying she understood concerns, Ms Reeves shot back that Labour was a 'party in government not a party in protest'.
The Cabinet minister used her address to talk up her 'patriotism', saying she was standing behind the UK steel industry. She also attacked Thatcherism for leaving behind poorer children, saying she wanted a country founded on 'contribution'.
Read more here:
Reeves tells protester 'we understand your cause'
Rachel Reeves said she was 'proud to stand here as your Chancellor of the Exchequer' as she was interrupted by a pro-Palestinian heckler during her Labour conference speech.
We understand your cause and we are recognising a Palestinian state. But we are now a party in Government, not a party of protest.
She later added:
I’m proud to stand here as your Chancellor, the Chancellor that has increased the minimum wage, the Chancellor that is introducing free breakfast clubs and free school meals, a Chancellor has overseen five cuts to interest rates. That’s the difference we make, and that is the difference we make in power, not through protest.
Breaking:Reeves interrupted by pro-Palestine protester
A pro-Palestine protester has interrupted Rachel Reeves' speech at the Labour conference.
According to reports, the man who held aloft the Palestinian flag was heard shouting about 'genocide' in Gaza and the 'mass starvation of Palestinians'.
Watch the video below:
Rachel Reeves about to address Labour Party conference
Rachel Reeves has started her speech at the Labour Party conference with Sir Keir Starmer in the audience.
The Chancellor tells the crowd in Liverpool she promised she would handle the economy differently and later brands it 'securonomics'.
No longer would we turn a blind eye to where things are made and who makes them. Or shrug our shoulders when the national interest is on the line. Because a strong economy must rest on strong foundations.
Watch live: Rachel Reeves addresses Labour Party conference
By Sam Chisholm
Focusing on Reform would be 'mistake' for Labour, polling guru claims
Focusing on Reform UK is a 'mistake' for Labour as the party loses support to the Liberal Democrats and Greens, polling expert Sir John Curtice has said.
While Nigel Farage’s party is currently the 'principal threat' to Labour’s seats at the next election, Sir John warned Reform was 'far from the only threat'
He suggested Labour should not 'repeat the Tories’ mistake' of focusing on immigration, and that improving the economy and the NHS was more likely to return voters to the party.
Speaking at a fringe event at the Labour conference, Sir John said:
It is a mistake to believe that this party’s only problem is Reform. It isn’t. Actually, you are losing more support to the Liberal Democrats and the Greens collectively, much more support, than you are to Reform.
Even in seats where Labour was fighting with Reform, he said, loss of support to Lib Dems and Greens could cost Labour MPs, adding it was far from clear that tactical voting would see anti-Farage voters opt for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
He said it was mainly former Conservative voters who were 'feeding the Reform juggernaut', and were more likely to switch back to the Tories than vote Labour.
Watch: Reeves says people can support Reform and not be racist
Here's Rachel Reeves's remarks on LBC earlier as she said while she believed Reform's immigration plans are 'racist', people who support Nigel Farage's party are not.
Watch the clip below:
A Labour MP today claimed Nigel Farage wants to send Welsh people 'back down the mines' as the Government stepped up its attacks on Reform UK.
Claire Hughes, MP for Bangor Aberconwy, made the claim as she posted a video on social media urging voters not to back Reform at next year's Welsh Senedd elections.
'If Nigel Farage had his way, you'd be back down the mines and our NHS, born here in Wales, would be sold off to the highest bidder,' she wrote on Twitter/X.
It appeared to be a reference to Mr Farage's remarks earlier this year in which he set out Reform's bid to 'reindustrialise' Wales.
He said Reform would allow coal to be mined in Wales as part of an ambition to reopen the Port Talbot steelworks.
Mr Farage insisted he was 'not forcing people down pits' to mine for coal, but added: 'If you offer people well paid jobs many will take them, even though we all accept mining is dangerous.'
Healey - Labour is party of Britain's defence
Turning his attention to domestic matters, Mr Healey attacked the SNP, Lib Dems, Reform and the Conservatives over their plans and policies relating to the armed forces.
He said the SNP refused to refund a new welding centre in Glasgow while the Lib Dems would cut the Army to its 'smallest since Napoleon'.
On the Conservatives, the Defence Secretary says the nation's forces were left 'hollowed out and underfunded', and Reform 'praise Putin and put down NATO'.
He then added:
Now, we’re the party growing jobs and growing the army, the party facing down Russia and strengthening Nato. Conference, Labour is again the party of Britain’s defence.
John Healey - Our message to Putin is you will not win
Defence Secretary John Healey has told Russian President Vladimir Putin to 'stop the killing, start the talks'.
Taking to the main stage at Liverpool, Mr Healey received a standing ovation at the Labour conference over his remarks on Ukraine.
Our message to Moscow from Liverpool today is this: 'President Putin, you will not win. ‘Stop the killing, start the talks, agree a peace'. We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
Following a visit to Ukraine three weeks ago, Mr Healey said the troops and workers he met were 'defiant' and 'determined' in the face of Putin's invasion.
Labour members to vote on 'Israeli genocide' motion
A motion which calls on the Labour Party to accept the findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry that 'Israel is committing a genocide' has been moved.
The emergency motion also calls 'on the British Government to take urgent action' against Israel, including 'a full arms embargo'.
Moving the motion, Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said:
This is genocide. But if we wait for this to be confirmed by a court, it will be too late, because it’s already happening as we sit here.
The motion will now be debated and voted on by Labour members.
Starmer faces Labour backlash over 'pathetic' jibe about Reform's 'racist' policy
Keir Starmer is facing a Labour backlash today over his 'pathetic' jibe at Nigel Farage's immigration plans being 'racist'.
The PM risked stirring a hornets' nest yesterday when he used the term to attack Reform's crackdown on so-called 'settled status'.
Mr Farage accused Sir Keir of panicking over catastrophic polls showing him on track for No10 - saying it was an 'insult' to millions of Brits concerned about immigration.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves doubled down on the 'racism' swipe as she toured broadcast studios at Labour's conference in Liverpool this morning.
However, 'Blue Labour' peer Lord Glasman branded the slur 'pathetic' and 'stupid', while the Tories also spoke out against it.
Watch: Yvette Cooper brands Reform 'plastic patriots'
Yvette Cooper used her conference speech to continue Labour’s attack on Reform, branding Nigel Farage's party ‘plastic patriots’.
The Foreign Secretary used a blast at Vladimir Putin and his war of aggression in Ukraine to revisit Mr Farage’s past praise for the autocrat.
In 2014 the then Ukip leader said Putin was the leader he most admired ‘as an operator, but not as a human being’.
The attack this morning mirrors language used by Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey at his own party’s conference last week.
It suggests that opponents to the left of Mr Farage and Reform see undermining their patriotic credentials as a viable form of attack while they lead in the polls.
Watch below:
Cooper to put women and girls at heart of foreign policy
By Jamie Bullen
Yvette Cooper promised a 'reckoning' is coming for those responsible for sexual violence, as she pledged to put women and girls” at the heart of the Government’s foreign policy.
The Foreign Secretary said:
Let me warn all those responsible for orchestrating sexual violence that a reckoning will come for them, no matter how long it takes, as we demand an end to the use of rape as a weapon of war.
Ms Cooper added:
I am determined that we now put that global emergency of violence against women and girls at the heart of our foreign policy too, because everyone has the right to live in freedom from fear.
Cooper - RAF ready to confront Russian jets
By Jamie Bullen
Turning her attention to the war in Ukraine, Yvette Cooper said RAF jets were ready to confront Russian planes following recent incursions in NATO airspace.
Ms Cooper described 'Russian drones over Poland and Romania, Russian fighter jets over Estonia entering Nato airspace – reckless, dangerous provocation'.
She said the Labour Party 'stands firm in Nato”, which she described as an “alliance which is vigilant and resolute'.
Make no mistake, if we need to confront planes in NATO airspace without permission, then we will do so.
This party should be very proud that in Ukraine's greatest time of need, President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people have had no better friends than our country, our government and our prime minister, Keir Starmer.
Cooper - Israel must end moral obscenity of this campaign
By Jamie Bullen
Ms Cooper has called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, calling on Hamas to release Israeli hostages and for Israel to end the 'moral obscenity' of denying civilians food and medicine.
Now, with the demands of the world upon them, Hamas must end its abhorrent detention of hostages. The calculated cruelty that has split and traumatized families for nearly two years.
And the Israeli government must end the moral obscenity of this campaign that has seen food, water and medicine denied and an unconscionable loss of human life. Because Palestinian civilians should not have to go another day in fear and hunger.
The hostages should not have to live another day in the darkness of captivity. No family should endure another loss. Enough is enough. The moment cannot be lost. The time for peace is now.
Yvette Cooper - Statehood is inalienable right of Palestinians
By Jamie Bullen
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has defended the Government's decision to recognise the state of Palestine in her speech at the Labour Party conference.
She tells the conference:
For many decades, the UK has pledged support for a two-state solution in the Middle East. But only recognise one of those states. Until now.
Statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people, and recognition is the embodiment of our passionate belief that the only time, the only path to security and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike is two states living side by side. But let there be no doubt, there can and will be no role for Hamas terrorists in any future governments of Palestine.
Both the US and Israel have criticised the UK's decision made alongside France, Australia, Canada and other countries.
Police arrest 66 people at Palestine Action protest outside Labour conference
By Jamie Bullen
Police arrested 66 people on suspicion of showing support for a proscribed terrorism organisation during a protest outside the Labour party conference on Sunday.
Around 100 people gathered near The Wheel Of Liverpool in the city centre holding signs reading: 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,' protest group Defend Our Juries said.
Merseyside Police said some of the people in attendance displayed material in support of Palestine Action.
Palestine Action was banned as a terror organisation in July after the group claimed responsibility for an action in which two Voyager planes were damaged at RAF Brize Norton the previous month.
Two people were later de-arrested, the force said.
The 64 people who were arrested on suspicion of the terrorism offence were aged between 21 and 83 years.
They were taken into police custody and have now been released on bail.
Starmer faces Labour revolt on Gaza with motion condemning Israel ‘genocide’
By Jamie Bullen
Labour activists will try to pressure Keir Starmer to take further political action against Israel and brand its military attack on Gaza a 'genocide' today.
They want the party's annual conference to back a full arms embargo and further sanctions against high-ranking members of Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
Protesters gathered again outside the venue in Liverpool this morning ahead of two votes, the day after supporters of terrorist group Palestine Action were arrested.
One motion, moved by the Unison trade union, urges the conference to accept the findings of a UN commission of inquiry that determined that Israel had committed 'genocide'.
Sir Keir and his ministers have so far avoided branding the military action this way, saying it is for courts to rule on under UK law.
The second, moved by the local labour branch in Diane Abbott's Hackney North and Stoke Newington seat in London, demands the UK 'fully suspend arms trade with Israel that could be used in the conflict' and target new sanctions at 'far right ministers'.
It comes a week after Britain formally recognised a state of Palestine, alongside Canada and Australia, sparking a backlash against Sir Keir Starmer by Netanyahu.
Tories accuse Starmer of 'smearing people as racist'
By Jamie Bullen
The shadow home secretary has accused Sir Keir Starmer of 'smearing people as racist' who want borders better controlled.
'Even yesterday, Keir Starmer was smearing people as racist who wanted to get control of our borders – that tells you a lot about the way Keir Starmer’s mind works', Chris Philp told Sky News.
Asked if he agrees with Sir Keir’s claim that Reform UK’s immigration policy – including its proposal to scrap indefinite leave to remain – is racist, Mr Philp said:
No, it’s not racist, it’s not racist to want to control our borders – it’s not racist to want to make sure only people who are making a contribution can stay here, it’s completely wrong, completely wrong, for Keir Starmer to use that smear.
And in the past, Keir Starmer wrote a book, or an article, when he was a human rights lawyer, when he said that all immigration law had racist overtones or undertones.
Labour conference: Who is speaking today?
By Jamie Bullen
Speeches at today's Labour Party conference in Liverpool will start at 10am with a host of Cabinet ministers speaking today.
We will endeavour to bring you the best lines from the speeches as well as other developments in and out of the conference.
Here's the line-up:
10:05am Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper
10:50am Defence Secretary John Healey
11:40am Business Secretary Peter Kyle
12:00pm Chancellor Rachel Reeves
2:00pm Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson
2:40pm Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden
2:50pm Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy
3:30pm Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood
3:45pm Technology Secretary Liz Kendall
4pm Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy
Reeves calls for less input from Office for Budget Responsibility
By Jamie Bullen
Rachel Reeves has signalled she wants the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) to do fewer full forecasts because she said she wants to only do one budget or fiscal statement a year.
She told Times Radio:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) have said that we should move to just one major fiscal event a year, and I agree with their recommendations, and to be able to do that, we do need to change the way that the OBR do their forecasting.
Two full forecasts a year make it harder to have that one fiscal event. There are different ways you could do it, you could do a shorter term forecast, you could do a forecast that just looks at the changes in the economy over that period of time.
She added:
We’ve already moved to having just one budget a year, but we’re trying through these changes to facilitate that.
Reeves - People are 'talking rubbish' about my Budget
By Jamie Bullen
Ms Reeves said people who claim to have insight on the contents of her Budget are 'talking rubbish' and branded some predictions as 'very irresponsible'.
The Chancellor dismissed ongoing speculation around the Budget in November, adding some people had made decisions on their personal finances based on rumours which had proved to be unfounded.
Ms Reeves was pressed by BBC Radio 4 on whether changes could affect people with shares, pensions or property.
There are a lot of people who claim to know what is going to be in my Budget. They don’t. A lot of them are talking rubbish, and frankly a lot of it is very irresponsible.
People were told last year that I was going to do this, I was going to do that, and people made decisions with their money, that were often irreversible decisions, and I would urge people to wait until that Budget and not listen to people who claim to know what is in my Budget.
Reeves insists Labour will tackle child poverty amid speculation on two-child benefit cap
By Jamie Bullen
Child poverty will reduce under Labour, Rachel Reeves has said, amid growing speculation the Government will lift the two-child benefit cap.
The Chancellor told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
There’s absolutely more to do to make working people better off, to lift people out of poverty, to ensure that our businesses can trade around the world.
She was asked directly about dropping the current two-child limit on benefit payments. She said:
That’s a decision for the Budget. No-one needs to tell me about child poverty, I came into this party because I desperately care about children and their life chances.
It’s why we’ve done free school meals, it’s why we’ve done breakfast clubs, it’s why we’ve increased the national living wage, and the national minimum wage, so I’m that Chancellor that cares about child poverty.
We will reduce child poverty, but we’ve also got to make sure the numbers add up, and people can trust me to ensure that that always happens.
Reform - Starmer 'circling the drain' after branding immigration plans 'racist'
By Jamie Bullen
Reform's Zia Yusuf has claimed Keir Starmer is 'circling the drain' after the Prime Minister branded the party's immigration policy as 'racist'.
Sir Keir has accused Nigel Farage’s party of promoting a 'racist' policy on immigration after it pledged to scrap settled status for all non-EU migrants, requiring those who have been granted indefinite leave to remain to re-apply under much stricter rules.
Mr Yusuf, Reform UK’s head of policy, told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that Sir Keir 'is literally the least popular, the most unpopular, Prime Minister on record, according to polls this week.'
Look, the reality is that the British people are sick and tired of having their legitimate concerns about immigration being sneered at, being belittled and ultimately being insulted for raising those legitimate concerns.
What Reform have announced is that migrants must pay their way, speak English and not commit crime, and the fact that Keir Starmer considers that policy – and those very reasonable people, the majority, frankly, of the people in this country who agree with that policy – as racist, says everything about the fact that this is a Prime Minister circling the drain, who is speaking to the activists in his own party.
By Jamie Bullen
by Jack Anderton
When Boris Johnson swept into Downing Street in 2019, he vowed to deliver the core promise of the Vote Leave campaign and ‘take back control’ of Britain’s borders.
The Conservative manifesto pledged an ‘Australian-style points-based system to control immigration’. In black and white, voters were told: ‘There will be fewer low-skilled migrants and overall numbers will come down.’
Six years on, everyone knows what actually happened. Instead of reducing the numbers of migrants, the last Tory government oversaw the biggest influx in British history.
Read more here:
Watch: Reeves to warn unemployed youngsters they could lose benefits
By Jamie Bullen
by Harriet Line Deputy Political Editor
Tens of thousands of out-of-work young people could be stripped of their benefits if they refuse to take a job, the Chancellor will announce today
Rachel Reeves will vow to ‘abolish’ long-term youth unemployment by guaranteeing paid work for those aged 18 to 21 who have been on Universal Credit for 18 months without earning or learning.
Those eligible will be given support to take advantage of available opportunities but those who refuse to take an offer without a good reason could face a sanction – including losing their benefits.
The Government will subsidise the jobs available under the ‘Youth Guarantee’, meaning the scheme is likely to cost the Treasury. It is thought big retailers will be appealed to for support.
One in eight 16 to 24-year-olds are not in education, employment or training – known as NEETs.
Ms Reeves is set to outline the plan in her keynote speech to the Labour Party conference in Liverpool later today.
Reeves fuels fears over VAT raid and hints at tax rises AND spending cuts in Budget
By Jamie Bullen
Rachel Reeves fueled fears over a VAT raid today as she hinted the Budget could see tax rises and spending cuts.
The Chancellor said she had made a 'solemn promise' to stabilise the finances as she dodged on how she plans to fill an estimated £30billion gap in the government's books.
Speculation has been mounting that Ms Reeves could have to break Labour's election manifesto, which pledged no increases to income tax, employee national insurance or VAT.
Touring broadcast studios at party conference in Liverpool this morning ahead of her keynote speech, Ms Reeves repeated the formulation that she 'stands by those commitments' without giving specific guarantees. Some believe the government could expand VAT to areas such as taxi fares, rather than increasing the main rate.
'There are global headwinds at the moment, we can see that the world has changed hugely since the last election,' she told Sky News.
'But those manifesto commitments we made in the manifesto 15 months ago, those manifesto commitments stand.'
Reeves suggests Andy Burnham 'risks following Liz Truss'
By Jamie Bullen
Ms Reeves also suggested Andy Burnham 'risks going the way of Liz Truss' as she warned being Chancellor meant making sure 'the numbers add up'.
Asked whether she agreed with the Prime Minister, who last week appeared to liken Mr Burnham’s economic agenda to that of the former Tory prime minister, she told LBC:
If he’s saying… anybody that says you can just borrow more, I do think that risks going the way of Liz Truss. Already one pound in every 10 the Government spends is on financing the debt that was racked up by the previous Conservative government. There’s nothing progressive, nothing Labour about that.
Her remarks come after Mr Burnham gave interviews in which he revealed Labour MPs had encouraged him to mount a leadership challenge against the Prime Minister.
Reeves - Reform supporters will be horrified at racist immigration policy
By Jamie Bullen
Earlier this morning, Rachel Reeves said people can support and not be racist but added some would likely be 'horrified' by the party's immigration policy relating to migrants working and living legally in the UK.
Asked how that was true for people who support the plan to revoke the right to remain in Britain for some migrants, she told LBC:
I think it is a racist policy. People support the Reform party for all sorts of reasons, but this policy is a racist policy.
Pressed on how she thought people could back the policy without being racist, she said:
You can support the Reform party and not be racist.
Asked again whether she thought people could support the policy and not be racist, she said:
I think there are lots of people who back Reform who will be horrified by the thought that people who have come to this country legally, who are working and contributing, will be deported from this country.
Here's what the Prime Minister Keir Starmer said at the weekend:
Rachel Reeves insists Reform's immigration plan is 'racist' but Farage supporters are not
By Jamie Bullen
Hello and welcome to our live coverage as Rachel Reeves makes her speech at the Labour Party Conference today.
The Chancellor will be among a slew of Cabinet ministers speaking in Liverpool ahead of Keir Starmer's appearance tomorrow.
Earlier, Ms Reeves reiterated the Prime Minister's view that Reform's immigration plans are 'racist' while stressing those who support Nigel Farage are not.
The Chancellor also hinted the Budget could see tax rises and spending cuts and suggested Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham 'risks going the way of Liz Truss' after he declared Labour MPs wanted him to challenge Starmer.
Follow the latest updates throughout the day with our political reporters James Tapsfield, David Wilcock and Greg Heffer with Jamie Bullen reporting from London.
