Keir Starmer should be heading into conference confident, with his head held high after Labour’s first full year in power since 2009. Instead the party is looking down the barrel of a complete election wipeout, the party is riven with splits from welfare to Gaza, and Sir Keir is already facing a major leadership challenge.
With MPs, councillors, activists and staff preparing to head to Liverpool this week, it will be a miracle if everything goes as smoothly as No. 10 might wish. The Prime Minister will be tasked with delivering a conference speech that gets his premiership back on track, and dampens any word about a leadership coup. Plenty of Labour MPs no longer think Sir Keir now has that in him.
Here’s a comprehensive list of everything that can, and likely will, go wrong at Labour’s conference.
While Keir Starmer announced controversial plans to recognise the state of Palestine, this has split the party between those who say it doesn’t go far enough, and those arguing it amounts to rewarding Hamas’ terror attack on October 7.
The PM has already riled his left flank with the proscribing of Palestine Action as a terror group following their attack on an RAF base, which caused millions of pounds in damages.
A mass protest has already been announced for the first day of conference, with Palestine Action supporters set to turn up in Liverpool and goad the police into arresting them.
Defend Our Juries have said they hope to cause “acute embarrassment” for Sir Keir.
A spokesman for Defend Our Juries said: “Labour members and trade unions are against their party’s complicity in genocide and the ban on Palestine Action. Yet party officials have shut down all the debates that members wanted to have on these issues during their conference.
“Defend Our Juries will bring the 'Lift The Ban' campaign to the door of the party that continues to deny genocide and has banned the direct action group that was trying to prevent it.
“The action will pose a dilemma for the Merseyside Police: prioritise human rights and community relations like Police Scotland and other forces around the UK, or trample over fundamental rights to protest and free expression like the Met Police by arresting over 100 peaceful sign-holders under this ridiculous ban.”
The Manchester Mayor sparked open speculation about a potential leadership coup this week, and failed to rule out a desire to unseat Sir Keir.
The Manchester Mayor has made several deliberately timed interventions, including one accusing the Prime Minister of creating a “climate of fear” among Labour MPs, which has led to “alienation and demoralisation” within Labour.
Mr Burnham admitted: “[MPs] have contacted me throughout the summer – yeah. I’m not going to say to you that that hasn’t happened, but as I say, it’s more a decision for those people than it is for me.
No. 10 has already hit back, accusing Mr Burnham’s plans of being a threat to the economy and risking a repeat of Liz Truss’ market meltdown.
Starmer ally Steve Reed publicly slapped him down, accusing him of taking “pot shots” at the Prime Minister
While Labour’s tax raid on farmers may no longer be front-page news, the vital industry remains furious at both Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves.
Labour won a number of rural seats at the last election, which now look in major jeopardy following the tax promise break.
The group Farmers to Action will be in attendance on Sunday, with a “trailer of truth” signed by farmers across the country.
Reform UK will almost certainly dominate discussions at Labour conference, with Mr Farage on course to become the next prime minister if current polls are correct.
A lot of the rise of Reform has been caused by Keir Starmer’s complete failure to stop small boat crossings, with tens of thousands of illegal migrants continuing to flood into the country.
Yesterday new data from the ONS revealed that in the year to June 2024, Britain’s population had exploded by another 755,000, thanks to more than 1.2 million entering the country.
This brings the UK population to 69.3 million, up by 1.1% on last year.
Only the year 2022 to 2023 breaks this record, with an even higher 890,049 seen during the Boriswave.
Unless Keir Starmer gets a grip, Nigel Farage will ensure he is a one-term Prime Minister. But the hard-left of his party remain opposed to any crackdown.
The fringe debates and drinks receptions will be full of debate about whether Keir Starmer remains the best man for the job.
Party conferences are dangerous for any leader; their MPs enjoy unlimited free liquid refreshments all while being surrounded by news-hungry journalists.
According to today’s bombshell MRP YouGov poll, around two-thirds of Labour MPs now face losing their seats at the next election.
This is enough to send panic through even the most loyal of Labour MPs, and risk yet more talk about whether Starmer faces a leadership challenge.
Plenty of MPs have already publicly or privately warned the PM that he must turn the ship around by next May’s local elections, or else face the fight of his life to remain in the top job.
