Keir Starmer’s first conference speech as Labour leader did not go as he had first planned. Social distancing measures meant that he had to deliver it from Doncaster to an empty hall. Meanwhile, the time was changed at the last minute so as to avoid a clash with government announcements on new coronavirus restrictions.
But Starmer still managed to use the outing to start to flesh out what type of leader he intends to be. Even if crowds were in short supply, the choice of location for the set piece event was in itself telling. Starmer said it was the first Labour Leaders’ Speech in Yorkshire since Harold Wilson in 1967. With Labour’s red wall reduced significantly in the 2019 election, the location – along with reference to constituencies the party had lost – shows Starmer is prioritising rebuilding support for Labour in the Midlands and North.
While Starmer did talk about his upbringing, his career and how honoured he was to lead Labour, it was his attempt to distance himself from both Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn that was the most revealing.
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