Keir Starmer to set out government’s task in the wake of far-right riots

Speech at No 10 comes as Labour faces pressure over its granting of Downing Street access to a party donor with no role in government

Keir Starmer will tell an audience at Downing Street of the task in hand 'to root out 14 years of rot and reverse a decade of decline'. PA

The images of communities picking up the pieces in UK cities after far-right riots gripped the country this month will form part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's speech on Tuesday, setting out the government’s tasks.

A week before MPs return to Parliament, the Prime Minister will warn that “things will get worse before they get better”, in a bid to manage public expectations of the new Labour government.

In an address from No 10 Downing Street, Mr Starmer will promise to do the “hard work” to “root out 14 years of rot” under the previous Conservative government. But the country will not be transformed in time for the next election, he will add.

Far-right riots across UK cities revealed “the cracks in our society after 14 years of populism and failure”, he will say, according to excerpts seen by the Press Association.

But the disorder also showed the potential for change, as communities came together to clean up the streets in their aftermath.

“The riots didn't just betray the sickness, they revealed the cure, found not in the cynical conflict of populism but in the coming together of a country the morning after and clearing up their community,” he will say.

“Because that is who we are, that is what we stand for. People who cared for their neighbour. Communities who stood fast against hatred and division. Emergency services who did their duty, even when they were in danger. And a government that put the people of this country first.”

Mr Starmer will use his speech to warn that “frankly, things will get worse before we get better”, as the Labour administration tries to deal with “not just an economic black hole but a societal black hole”.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to raise taxes in her budget on October 30 after accusing the Tories of leaving a £22 billion ($29 billion) shortfall in the public finances.

The speech comes as Labour battles accusations of cronyism, after it emerged a party donor was given a pass to No 10 despite not having a formal job there.

Waheed Alli, a millionaire TV executive who has donated more than £500,000 to Labour over the past 20 years, was granted access last month.

Shadow paymaster general John Glen has written to Simon Case, the Cabinet Secretary, to request clarification on who authorised Lord Alli's pass and when it was issued.

Mr Glen said in his letter: “A Downing Street pass should be a privilege reserved for those that require access for work, including civil servants and special advisers, not those requiring occasional access as is possible through the Visitor Notification System, without requiring a permanent security pass.

“It is therefore deeply concerning that a pass was granted to a Labour donor providing unfettered access to the heart of government after significant cash and non-cash donations were made to the Labour Party.”

Mr Glen also asked whether any other donors had received security passes for No 10 and if other temporary passes had been issued.

On Sunday, senior minister Pat McFadden said it had been a temporary arrangement to allow Lord Alli to attend political meetings, and added that he no longer had a pass.

'A decade in decline'

Mr Starmer will say his government will represent a significant departure from the years of Tory sleaze.

He will tell an invited audience including apprentices, small-business owners and public servants: “This government won't always be perfect, but I promise this: you will be at the heart of our government and in the forefront of our minds, at the centre of everything we do.

“That's why I wanted to invite you here today, to show that the decent, hard-working people who make up the backbone of this country belong here and that this government is for you.”

The speech’s location, in No 10's Rose Garden, is symbolic of this shift, he will say.

“A garden and a building that were once used for lockdown-breaking parties are now back in your service.”

Mr Starmer has previously spoken about the need for a “decade of national renewal”, implying at least two terms of Labour rule will be needed to enact positive and tangible change.

“Next week, Parliament will return. The business of politics will resume, but it will not be business as usual,” the Prime Minister will say.

“Because we can't go on like this any more. No more politics of performance, papering over the cracks, or division and distraction. Things are being done differently now.

“When I stood on the steps of Downing Street two months ago, I promised this government would serve people like you: apprentices, teachers, nurses, small-business owners, firefighters – those serving the community and the country every day.

“I promised that we would get a grip on the problems we face and that we would be judged by our actions, not by our words.”

He will add: “We will do the hard work needed to root out 14 years of rot and reverse a decade of decline.

“We'll fix the foundations, protecting taxpayers' money and people's living standards. We'll reform our planning system to build the new homes we need.

“We'll level up workers' rights so people have security, dignity and respect. We'll strengthen our border security. We'll crack down on crime. We'll transform public transport. And we'll give our children the opportunities they need to succeed.”