Labour WON’T be a tax and spend party, says Keir Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer will tomorrow vow to ditch Labour’s traditional ‘tax and spend’ approach.

In a keynote speech, he will promise ‘a decade of national renewal’ – but say it can’t be done by getting a ‘big government cheque book out again’.

The Labour leader will acknowledge the need for investment, but will add: ‘I can see the damage the Tories have done to our public services as plainly as anyone. But we won’t be able to spend our way out of their mess – it’s not as easy as that. 

‘There is no substitute for a robust private sector, creating wealth in every community.’

Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) will vow to ditch Labour’s traditional ‘tax and spend’ approach in a keynote speech

Tory minister Nadhim Zahawi (pictured) branded Kier Starmer’s speech a ‘desperate relaunch attempt’

But Tory minister Nadhim Zahawi said of the speech, details of which were released on Wednesday night: ‘This is yet another desperate relaunch attempt by Keir Starmer – his tenth since he became Labour leader.

‘Every week he changes his position depending on what he thinks is popular – from supporting free movement to supporting the unions, he’ll say anything if the politics suits him.

‘He should stop giving cliché-laden speeches, and instead finally unveil a plan for people’s priorities.

‘He’s got nothing to say on how to cut crime, get immigration down, and reduce borrowing – that’s what the nation wants to see.’ 

It comes amid a split among Sir Keir’s frontbenchers after one refused to endorse a ‘reform or die’ call to the NHS made by shadow health secretary Wes Streeting. 

He said he could not understand why the British Medical Association union was ‘hostile’ to the idea that with more staff must come better standards. 

And he said that ‘we cannot continue pouring money into a 20th-century model of care that delivers late diagnoses and more expensive treatment’.

But Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, Labour’s mental health spokesman, refused to back the approach three times in an interview on Wednesday. 

Asked if she agreed with Mr Streeting, she would only say that she stood by the commitment to increase staff numbers.

It comes amid a split among Sir Keir’s frontbenchers after one refused to endorse a ‘reform or die’ call to the NHS made by shadow health secretary Wes Streeting (pictured)

Sir Keir will give his speech in east London on Thursday in an attempt to rival Rishi Sunak’s first major address as PM yesterday. 

He will pledge to deliver the ‘economy and the politics Britain deserves’ and end the era of ‘sticking plaster politics’ with ‘a new way of governing’ that will help build a fairer, greener, more dynamic Britain.

He will say: ‘I believe in our country, I believe in our businesses, I believe in our people, I believe in our spirit, in the ambition they have for themselves…’