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The keynote address in Liverpool comes three months after Labour’s landslide general election victory.<\/p>\n
With the government already focused on delivering its manifesto promises, the speech contained few new policies.<\/p>\n
Instead, Sir Keir focused on long-term reforms, which he argued had been dodged by his Conservative predecessors – including on housebuilding and energy.<\/p>\n
He did not repeat his rhetoric from last month about a \u201cpainful\u201d Budget, insisting there would be \u201clight at the end of the tunnel\u201d.<\/p>\n
But he said he wanted to be straight with people about the challenges the county faces.<\/p>\n
“If you bury your head because things are difficult, your country goes backwards,” he told Labour delegates.<\/p>\n
“So if we want justice to be served some communities must live close to new prisons.<\/p>\n
“If we want to maintain support for the welfare state, then we will legislate to stop benefit fraud. <\/p>\n
“If we want cheaper electricity, we need new pylons overground otherwise the burden on taxpayers is too much.”<\/p>\n
One policy announced by Sir Keir was a confirmation that the headquarters of GB Energy would be in Aberdeen. <\/p>\n
He also promised that care leavers, victims of domestic abuse and veterans would get a “guaranteed roof over their head”. <\/p>\n
Housing charity Shelter said changing the eligibility rules for social housing would not address the shortage of homes available. <\/p>\n
The PM also announced reforms to the apprenticeship system, which he said was a \u201cfirst step\u201d in a plan to eradicate youth unemployment entirely. <\/p>\n
The BBC’s economics editor Faisal Islam said the target sounds ambitious and expensive, echoing Gordon Brown\u2019s future jobs fund from the financial crisis.<\/p>\n
The PM also addressed the summer riots triggered by the Southport knife attack.<\/p>\n
He denounced the violence as \u201cthuggery\u201d and said people who were concerned about immigration should not be confused with those who \u201csmashed up businesses\u201d and \u201cattempted to burn refugees\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said the government wanted to reduce “both net migration and our economic dependency upon it\u201d but added: \u201cThe debate is not about the worth of migrants \u2013 that is toxic and we must move beyond it.” <\/p>\n
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