"He lost no time in naming the fight with Nigel Farage and Reform UK as an existential contest between decency and grievance, renewal versus decline. It was Sir Keir's most impressive political performance: clear, moral and passionate. Labour's leader spoke with a confidence previously lacking. His stirring defence of his party as a uniting force in a polarised country rightly drew applause."
"The speech was also incomplete. It showed what Sir Keir stands for. But it also revealed what he doesn't stand for: fiscal expansion, bolder redistribution and fully engaging with the politics of living standards. Tellingly, he made no mention of his government's 5bn Pride in Place scheme, which could have been a perfect answer to the grievance politics Reform thrives on. It was a missed opportunity to connect national renewal to visible investment in left-behind communities."
"But such language leaves voters cold. He went on to say that this meant more money for trips, meals out, but it was curiously unpersuasive. This highlighted the key weakness of his pitch. He won't win the fight with the populist right on values alone, especially if voters' lives feel precarious under Labour. That is because Reform's rise is not just about identity."
A party framed the political contest as decency versus grievance and renewal versus decline, delivering a clear, moral and passionate performance with confident delivery and moralized stories. The address positioned Labour as a uniting force while taking aim at Reform UK and Nigel Farage, using sharp retorts about national identity. The presentation downplayed fiscal expansion and bolder redistribution, avoiding proposals to tackle living-standards politics. The omission of a £5bn Pride in Place scheme was a missed chance to show visible investment in left-behind communities. Economic renewal language focused on growth and consumption but failed to persuade voters worried about insecurity and NHS waiting lists.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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