Keir Starmer: We have a choice – sink into division or rise together, stronger

There are moments in history that shape our future for generations and where we must answer the question anew of who we want to be as a country. This is one of those moments.

The whole country has been shaken by the horrendous attack in Golders Green. We are seeing a resurgence of terror, fuelled by Islamist extremism. We are seeing thugs paid by foreign powers to commit criminal damage. All in a climate where antisemitism and bare-faced hatred have bubbled over into the mainstream.

And beyond our shores, we see a fractured world – a perfect storm of crises sweeping towards us. War on two fronts. Global economic strife, already impacting our daily lives. A world that is more dangerous than at any point in my lifetime.

We have a choice. We could sink into the politics of grievance and division. Or we could rise to this moment – together – in a national effort that matches the scale of the threats and turbulence we face.

I am talking about a national mission to become a stronger, more resilient, and more united nation, allowing us to take control of our future, raise our sights, and reach towards something better.

When the nation rallied together to deal with Covid, the last government could have channelled that spirit to build a better nation. But instead, they descended into political infighting and let the country slump back to the old status quo. Not this time.

I take inspiration from Clement Attlee. Faced with new threats and a broken, fractured world, Attlee saw that it was not in our interest – or the British character – to be mere passengers of history, buffeted by events, but instead to seize the moment with both hands and shape it as best we can.

His government did not just make the country more secure – they made it better and fairer too. That is my blueprint for this moment.

This government will reshape our nation. Over the coming weeks, through the King’s speech and beyond, we will set out our agenda of radical reform – with activist, interventionist government building a stronger and fairer country.

First, on defence, we are overturning 14 years of austerity, with the biggest sustained investment in British defence since the cold war. And our defence investment plan will set out how we will deliver the capabilities to meet the threats of our age.

That includes working more closely with our European partners – to strengthen the European element of Nato and build a shared industrial base across our continent, with British industry at its heart.

Second, on energy, we are going to take back control of our energy and our bills.

People’s lives and livelihoods should not be at the mercy of foreign dictators and the fossil fuel rollercoaster.

Third, we will strengthen our economic security.

Earlier this year, our economy was beginning to turn the corner. Inflation, borrowing, interest rates and debt were down. Real wages and living standards were up. But the war has slowed our progress. We will weather this storm and support those who need it most, and we are in a stronger position to be able to do that because of choices made by this government. But recovery depends on rebuilding the strength of our economy to make us more resilient to these kinds of shocks in future.

That means deepening our economic relationship with the EU. The world has changed since 2016. And Brexit today looks quite different. It has damaged our economy and there’s no doubt in my mind where the national interest lies. Britain must be at the heart of a stronger Europe on defence, on security, on energy, and on our economy. I will be at the European Political Community summit today to take this forward.

This is how we will take control of our destiny in a chaotic world. But life is about more than just getting through and weathering the storm. Creating a stronger Britain is the means to a greater end – which is to build that fairer country.

I’m talking about a country where every child and young person has rich opportunities whatever their background, whatever their talents. I’m talking about a country where people feel real pride in where they live and hopeful about what lies ahead. I’m talking about a country proud of our values and ready to stand up for them.

The world is a tougher place than it has been for decades. We cannot be satisfied with prolonged flatlining, interrupted only by shocks and crises. That status quo is why the public are frustrated and lacking hope for the future.

We must build a stronger country if we are to build a fairer country. That is the mission of my government and the promise of change that we will deliver.

Photograph by Carl Court/Getty Images