Starmer returns to old favourites in New Year’s speech

There was a distinctly familiar feel to Keir Starmer’s speech today. Preaching change in front of heavy machinery, it was a near-identical setting to the speech he gave this same week last January. For a New Year’s speech, it was devoid of new policy but there were plenty of old favourites: the Great British Energy and planning reform pledges that underpinned his last two conference addresses, Labour renewal, Tory cronyism and the obligatory reference to Liz Truss (but no named mention of Rishi Sunak).

There was enough in it to get decent write-ups, with the Telegraph focusing on his rejection (again) of Jeremy Corbyn’s politics while the Guardian stressing his plans for increased transparency. But it was, in truth, quite a boring speech – a charge that is not likely to bother Starmer much. Boring is his brand and while it’s not one that excites many voters, it certainly doesn’t alienate them either.