Starmer to say Britain 'at a fork in the road'

"With criticism of his leadership boiling over into an open challenge from Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Sir Keir will argue that his is a "hard path" but one of "renewal" and "decency", starkly set against an alternative he portrays as decline and division."

"It will feel personal for the prime minister whose judgement has been attacked in recent days following the loss of his US ambassador, Peter Mandelson, and his deputy, Angela Rayner, leading to a major ministerial reshuffle. Sir Keir has also seen the departure of a number of key aides from Downing Street as he seeks to bolster his communications strategy, which appears to be failing to cut through with swathes of the British public if dire opinion polls for the party are any indication."

"It is not just opinion polls - the prime minister will also need to steer his government through a very difficult budget in November, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves signalling she is likely to need to raise taxes to deal with the worsening economic forecast. A brief preview of the speech released to reporters in advance indicates that Sir Keir will seek to appeal to those beyond Labour, including those who have never voted for the party, and ask people"

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will tell the Labour conference that British people stand "at a fork in the road" and must choose between Labour's vision and Reform UK. He will frame his approach as a hard path of renewal and decency contrasted with decline and division associated with Nigel Farage's party. Starmer branded Reform's deportation policy "racist" and faces internal criticism after high-profile departures, a ministerial reshuffle, and communications struggles amid poor opinion polls. He also faces a difficult November budget likely requiring tax rises while seeking to appeal beyond traditional Labour voters.

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