Starmer channels Blair & Miliband to launch election pledges

ODN

Sir Keir Starmer has unveiled a pledge card with six "first steps" the Labour Party would take if it were to form a government after the next general election. 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. The move, unveiled during a campaign speech in Essex, is reminiscent of Tony Blair’s five pledges ahead of Labour’s landslide victory in 1997, and less favourably of Ed Miliband’s promises carved into stone in 2015. Report by Jonesia. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn

Transcript

00:00Only three Labour leaders have taken the party from opposition to government since the end

00:07of the Second World War.

00:09Keir Starmer's launch of pre-election pledges today in Essex was reminiscent of the last

00:13man to do it in 1997.

00:16Tony Blair's card, spelling out the party's five pledges, was given to canvassers to hand

00:21out to voters on the doorsteps ahead of Labour's landslide victory.

00:25If people believe this is not the direction in which the Labour Party should go, now is

00:29the time to say.

00:30Today's launch featured six pledges rather than Blair's five, the same number that Ed

00:35Miliband famously had carved into stone, dubbed the Edstone, ahead of Labour's 2015 election

00:41defeat.

00:42These six pledges are now carved in stone.

00:45They're carved in stone because they won't be abandoned after the general election.

00:51On this occasion, Starmer decided paper beats rock.

00:54First steps towards higher growth, an NHS back on its feet, secure borders, cheaper

01:01bills, safer streets and opportunities for your children.

01:07So here we are, one card, six steps, in your hand, a plan to change the country.

01:20The Shadow Cabinet gathered in Perth today, with speakers, including the former leader,

01:24talking through each of the six pledges in turn.

01:27Bringing back stability, bringing back growth, it will require tough choices.

01:33This is the most consequential energy and climate election in our history.

01:40This Essex town sits in the constituency of Thurrock, a key battleground between the Tories

01:45and Labour, which has voted for the governing party at every election since 1997.

01:49But the Tories abused your trust, but Labour will never take you for granted.

01:58Announcing their priorities inevitably leaves Labour open to criticism about what they haven't

02:03mentioned.

02:04Housing, defence, social care, child poverty.

02:08Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has recently put pressure on Keir Starmer to end the two-child

02:13benefit cap.

02:14The Conservatives say the Labour leader can't be trusted to keep his promises.

02:18This is Keir Starmer's 16th relaunch in a few months, I mean he's dumped every pledge

02:23that he made during the Labour leadership campaign, he's dumped every pledge he made

02:29when he tried to get Jeremy Corbyn into being our Prime Minister, not once but twice.

02:34I think people need to take, with an enormous pinch of salt, anything that he's putting

02:39forward.

02:40Thank you very, very much, thank you.

02:43Current polling suggests Keir Starmer is on course to become the fourth post-war Labour

02:47leader to take the party into government.

02:50He'll be hoping that these first six steps take them in the right direction.

02:54Thank you very much.

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