Labour conference – live: ‘Inane’ to ignore lessons of past election defeats, Blunkett warns Starmer

Former home secretary David Blunkett has warned Labour Rishi Sunak’s party is not “out for the count” in the race to next year’s election.

Writing for the Independent, Lord Blunkett said it would be “inane” for Sir Keir Starmer to ignore the lessons of past defeats despite Labour leading in the polls.

He said: “Without living in the past, we must learn the lessons which teach us that our opponents’ unpopularity is not enough.

“Sunak’s U-turn on climate change is no accident. Nor is it a mere reaction to the Uxbridge and Ruislip by-election. I am absolutely convinced on the need for a sustainable future, but to achieve it we have to make changes a promise, not a punishment.”

It comes as Labour MPs, delegates and lobbyists are descending on Liverpool for five days of policy debate, rallies and networking as the party conference begins on Sunday.

Sir Keir will head to the annual gathering boosted by a comfortable lead in the polls and a resounding by-election victory over the SNP in Scotland’s Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat.

Key Points

• David Blunkett: Labour might have a big lead in the polls – but the Tories aren’t out of it yet

• Exclusive: Labour reveals new plans to clamp down on sexual harassment at work

• Labour would ‘support’ landlords - Rayner

Angela Rayner’s ‘no.1 focus’ is more affordable homes

Saturday 7 October 2023 12:59 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has said her “number one focus” in government would be to unlock more affordable homes with a plan to get tough on developers.

The party has pledged give local authorities greater powers to negotiate with property firms and build in the areas they need as it sets out its stall on housing ahead of its conference in Liverpool.

Ms Rayner, who is also shadow housing secretary, declined to give a specific number when asked what Labour’s new homes target is, saying it must first “unlock the blockages” in the current system.

But she said the party was focused on exceeding the unmet Tory pledge of 300,000 new homes a year, telling BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “That’s what my priority is.

“If I get into government, if we’re fortunate enough that the British people give us that opportunity, then my number one focus is to deliver on making sure we’ve got those houses for the future.”

The party is pledging to prevent developers “wriggling out” of their affordable housing obligations, known as section 106 rules, by introducing an expert unit to give councils and housing associations advice on negotiating with property firms.

It would publish guidance that would effectively limit companies to challenging these requirements only if there were genuine barriers to building homes.

‘We will make hatred against women the hate crime we know it to be'- Anneliese Dodds MP

Saturday 7 October 2023 12:40 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Anneliese Dodds told the Labour conference today: “We will make hatred against women the hate crime we know it to be, and strengthen existing laws so that hate crimes against LGBT+ and disabled women attract the same, tough sentences.

“We will break down barriers to opportunity at every stage by enacting the socio-economic duty in the Equality Act and introducing a Race Equality Act to tackle the structural racial inequality that scars our society.

“And we will oppose any Conservative attempt to undermine Labour’s Equality Act, and protect and uphold it in government.”

The speech comes as Labour’s annual conference kicks off, during which MPs, delegates and lobbyists are gathering for five days of policy debate, rallies and networking.

Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner arrived in Liverpool buoyed by a comfortable lead in the polls and a resounding by-election victory over the SNP in Scotland’s Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat.

Labour would force parties to disclose anonymised data on diversity of candidates

Saturday 7 October 2023 12:19 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Labour would force political parties to disclose anonymised data about the diversity of their candidates, introducing a “duty to demonstrate progress”, the shadow equalities secretary has said.

Anneliese Dodds MP said the party would use Section 106 of the Equality Act, which requires the publication of information about protected characteristics of those standing for it in elections, to implement the plan.

Ms Dodds, who is also party chairwoman, made the pledge during her speech to Labour’s annual Women’s Conference in Liverpool.

“The Conservatives could have done this years ago, but they didn’t have the guts.

“Only Labour will act to make politics more representative of the country we serve,” she said.

“To bring people with different experiences and backgrounds into Parliament, to do the things that only women MPs, black, Asian and ethnic minority MPs, disabled MPs and LGBT+ MPs can do.”

Labour has previously promised to make misogyny a hate crime, which campaigners have long called for to make it easier to prosecute crimes motivated by a person’s sex or gender.

HS2 to Euston ‘wishful thinking’ without public funding, says London mayor in plea to PM

Saturday 7 October 2023 12:05 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

London mayor Sadiq Khan has accused Rishi Sunak of “wishful thinking” for saying that the private sector will stump up an estimated £6.5bn to pay for part of HS2.

The prime minister announced this week that the northern leg of the high-speed rail network between Birmingham and Manchester would be scrapped.

However, he promised to deliver the London link between Old Oak Common and Euston Station following weeks of speculation about the future of the project, first revealed by The Independent.

HS2 to Euston ‘wishful thinking’ without public funding, says London mayor Khan

Could Nigel Farage really end up leading the Tory party?

Saturday 7 October 2023 11:35 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

George Osborne has reignited speculation that the former Ukip chief could rejoin the Conservative Party and become its leader. Sean O’Grady weighs the likelihood of a new Brexit Tory takeover:

Former Conservative chancellor and election strategist George Osborne is the latest – and most authoritative – figure to suggest that Nigel Farage could become Tory leader.

“He’s a sort of Pied Piper character and is leading the Tory party to his merry tune – again,” said Osborne. “You’d have thought they would have learnt their lesson.

“If Nigel Farage was given membership of the Conservative Party... then you have opened the door to Farageism inside the Tory party, not led by his proxies but by Farage himself.”

Could Nigel Farage really end up leading the Tory party?

The Who’s Pete Townshend: How Keir Starmer confronted me about ‘child pornography’ on my computer

Saturday 7 October 2023 10:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The guitarist talks to Kevin E G Perry about his 2003 arrest, his Seventies eco-meltdown rock opera, and how he feels about Rishi Sunak’s Tories:

Pete Townshend had a vision. In 1970, in between writing Tommy and Quadrophenia, the then 25-year-old guitarist and songwriter started work on a rock opera set in a Britain suffering ecological collapse.

With pollution choking the air, an autocratic government keeps the population docile with a constantly streaming entertainment network known as “The Grid”.

Townshend called this ambitious project Lifehouse, but when plans for a movie version fell through and it became clear that even his bandmates were struggling with the convoluted plot, he admitted defeat and repurposed the bulk of the music for a conventional rock album, Who’s Next.

Bookended by a pair of indelible anthems, “Baba O’Riley” and “Won’t Get Fooled Again”, the record, born of compromise, is often considered The Who’s finest work.

The Who’s Pete Townshend: How Keir Starmer confronted me about ‘child pornography’

David Blunkett: Labour might have a big lead in the polls – but the Tories aren’t out of it yet

Saturday 7 October 2023 10:13 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Former home secretary David Blunkett warns the Tories are not out of race just yet in his piece for The Independent:

After the shambolic and divided Tory Party Conference, the PR fiasco of the HS2 volte face, and a thumping victory in the Rutherglen by-election, Labour’s hopes for their conference are naturally high.

However, we live in an era of political amnesia where each incoming Tory leader presents years of Conservative rule as entirely someone else’s fault.

John Major managed the same trick in 1992, having replaced Margaret Thatcher. Labour leader, Neil Kinnock, had spent years trying to make Labour electable after the devastating 1983 landslide win for Mrs Thatcher, but ultimately failed – despite 13 years of Tory rule.

Read more here:

Labour might have a big lead – but the Tories aren’t out of it yet | David Blunkett

Boris Johnson blasts Rishi Sunak’s plan to ban smoking for future generations

Saturday 7 October 2023 09:58 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Boris Johnson has blasted Rishi Sunak‘s plan to ban smoking for future generations, branding it “barmy” and unworkable.

The ex prime minister said Mr Sunak’s proposal would “criminalise yet another variety of ordinary behaviour” with “no thought to the consequences for those who have to make it work”.

The PM announced during his conference speech in Manchester this week that the government would legislate to gradually raise the smoking age ever year so that a child who is 14 or under today would never legally be allowed to buy cigarettes.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:

Boris Johnson blasts Rishi Sunak’s plan to ban smoking for future generations

Exclusive: Labour reveals new plans to clamp down on sexual harassment at work

Saturday 7 October 2023 09:38 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

The Labour Party has unveiled new plans to clamp down on sexual harassment in the workplace as new figures show almost 5 million women experience such behaviour at work each year.

New proposals unveiled by Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner would legally force employers to “stop sexual harassment before it starts” by implementing measures to prevent sexual harassment from taking place.

Ms Rayner, shadow levelling up secretary, told The Independent sexual harassment was “rife” as she warned such behaviour is “destroying careers and ruining women’s lives”.

Labour reveals new plans to clamp down on sexual harassment at work

Labour ‘not taking anything for granted’ after by-election victories

Saturday 7 October 2023 09:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the party is still “not taking anything for granted” despite its Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

Asked whether the result showed the Opposition had a win “in the bag” at the next general election, she told BBC Breakfast: “We’re certainly not taking anything for granted but it was a seismic result for Labour.”

She said the party had been “very bold” in its plans to deliver more homes ahead of a speech expected to focus heavily on housing at the Labour conference in Liverpool.

“It’s an absolute scandal that nearly £2 billion has been handed back to the Treasury when actually builders want to build, developers want to develop. So we’ve got to unlock that. Part of it is about having those local plans, and making sure we stick to that, and have that renewal we want on a national level.”

Angela Rayner says Labour would ‘support’ landlords

Saturday 7 October 2023 08:53 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the party would “support” landlords who are giving renters a good deal and a secure home.

Ms Rayner, who is also shadow housing secretary, highlighted the “responsibility” of those renting their homes out when asked whether she had a “plan for landlords”.

Asked whether “landlords were part of the solution” but are “leaving the market” because of higher costs, she told LBC: “They are but also they’ve got responsibility landlords... I’m going to build the houses we need, that’s what we need, that’s the point I’m making.

“Landlords who are doing a good job who are making sure that renters have a good deal and a secure home, that’s great, we want those landlords and we can support them in doing that.”

Presenter Andrew Castle replied: “That’s a charity, that’s not a business.”

Ms Rayner said: “We need social housing. Landlords are not charities, I don’t accept that.”

Deputy Labour leader says party would hold developers to affordable housing obligations

Saturday 7 October 2023 08:31 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said the party would hold developers to their affordable housing obligations, saying there was a “big gulf” between having “loads of profit” and having none.

The Opposition has said it would introduce a specialised unit to stop developers challenging so-called 106 rules unless there were genuine barriers to building homes.

Speaking to LBC, Ms Rayner, who is also shadow housing secretary, said: “There’s a big gulf of a gap between not having a profit and having loads of profit, and making sure we can have the affordable housing under section 106 which we’ve not been delivered currently - we’re going to make sure we have a specialised unit within government that will help local authorities to deliver that social housing and making sure that we’re using all of the affordable homes grant.”

Rayner on Labour MPs straying from party line

Saturday 7 October 2023 08:15 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner would not be drawn on whether there was a strategy in place to allow MPs north of the border to stray from the party line on some issues in order to gain support.

Ms Rayner, who is also shadow levelling up secretary, was asked on Sky News about the concerns raised by Michael Shanks, who won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, about the two-child benefit cap, which Labour has said it would keep.

“One of the challenges we face because the Conservatives crashed the economy is that we won’t be able to reverse everything the Conservatives have done over the last 13 years, but we’re very determined to give Britain its future back, she replied.

More details of its plans, including the party’s vision for housing reforms and NHS reforms, will be detailed at its annual conference in Liverpool, she said.

Of the by-election victory, she said: “I think that result shows that we are on track to continue with the plan of listening to the public, seeing what their priorities are and delivering for them and that’s what the next Labour government will do if we’re fortunate to be elected at the next general election.”

Labour’s Angela Rayner dodges question on becoming Labour’s first female PM

Saturday 7 October 2023 07:44 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain

Labour’s Angela Rayner dodged a question on whether she has ambitions to be Labour’s first female prime minister.

When pressed on the topic, Ms Rayner told Sky News: “I would see it as an absolute honour and privilege to be the deputy prime minister for Labour.”

She added: “I want people to have the opportunities that the last Labour government delivered for me.”

ICYMI: Nigel Farage is the ghost at the Conservative Party feast – but he’ll do more than haunt Rishi Sunak

Saturday 7 October 2023 06:30 , Matt Mathers

The former Ukip leader was welcomed in Manchester like a conquering hero, writes John Rentoul. His reception shows large parts of the Tory party have given up on the election and are looking forward to an ideological civil war.

Read John’s full piece here:

The Tory embrace of Nigel Farage shows the depth of their problems

Editorial: Politicians are stoking ‘culture wars’ – with trans people caught in the crossfire

Saturday 7 October 2023 05:30 , Matt Mathers

Arguments about trans rights have become louder and more strident, with language that can be insensitive, insulting, hurtful – and, as has now come to light, directly harmful

Read the full editorial here:

Editorial: Politicians stoke culture wars – with trans people caught in crossfire

Smoking ban makes me fume – it’s bad for our health, but it’s our right to do it

Saturday 7 October 2023 04:30 , Matt Mathers

Nobody is seriously suggesting we make booze illegal to prevent alcohol-related deaths or outlaw Mars bars to combat obesity, writes James Moore. We ban too many things already, it’s time to debate how far the state should go in policing our bad decisions

Read James’s full comment piece here:

Smoking ban makes me fume: bad for health, yes! But our right to do it | James Moore

ICYMI: Sums don’t add up for Rishi, ‘the change candidate’

Saturday 7 October 2023 03:30 , Matt Mathers

The prime minister told the Conservative conference he wants to fix ‘30 years of broken politics’. But he ignored the inconvenient fact that his party has been in power for 13 years – and has run Britain for 17 of the last 30 years, writes Andrew Grice.

Read Andrew’s full piece here:

Sums don’t add up for Rishi, ‘the change candidate’

Starmer’s stonking by-election victory in Rutherglen shows Scotland is coming home to Labour

Saturday 7 October 2023 02:30 , Matt Mathers

It’s unclear why the SNP decided to gift Labour such a perfect battleground ahead of their party conference and indeed the next general election. Keir Starmer will certainly make the most of it, writes Sean O’Grady.

Read Sean’s full piece here:

Starmer’s stonking by-election victory shows Scotland is coming home to Labour

ICYMI: Starmer’s hopes of becoming PM boosted after winning key by-election

Saturday 7 October 2023 01:30 , Matt Mathers

Sir Keir Starmer’s hopes of winning the keys to No 10 at next year’s general election were given a huge boost after winning a “seismic” victory in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

Polling guru Professor John Curtice said the 20 per cent swing from SNP to Labour was a “remarkably good result” that put Sir Keir’s party on course to be the “dominant” force in Scotland again and win a clear majority in the Commons.

Kate Devlin and Adam Forrest report:

Starmer’s hopes of becoming PM boosted after winning key by-election

Labour’s Rachel Reeves drops flagship business announcement after Hunt intervenes

Saturday 7 October 2023 00:30 , Matt Mathers

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has dropped an announcement on a new business council from her Labour conference speech after an intervention by Jeremy Hunt and senior Tories.

The Labour frontbencher was planning to use her Monday speech at the party conference in Liverpool to reveal a new advisory body involving some of the UK’s biggest companies.

Adam Forrest reports:

Rachel Reeves drops business announcement after Hunt intervenes

Rape conviction rates are dismal – it’s no wonder women have lost hope

Friday 6 October 2023 23:30 , Matt Mathers

In a damning assessment, the government’s ‘rape tsar’ says she has so little faith in the police’s commitment to investigating rape, she wouldn’t even report one herself. Where does that leave the rest of us, asks Charlotte Proudman.

Read Charlotte’s full piece here:

Opinion: Rape conviction rates are dismal – it’s no wonder women have lost hope

Pledge to ‘make work pay’

Friday 6 October 2023 22:37 , Alex Ross

Angela Rayner has revealed her opening speech will set out a plan to make workers better off.

The shadow secretary of state for levelling up will also talk about the opposition’s plan for secure homes to “end the Tories’ housing emergency”

Angela Rayner to open Labour conference with pledge to ‘make work pay’

Government rape tsar quits over failures to hold attacker to account for breaching bail conditions

Friday 6 October 2023 22:30 , Matt Mathers

A government rape adviser says she quit her job over the criminal justice system’s failures to hold her alleged attacker to account for repeatedly breaching his bail conditions.

Emily Hunt told The Independent her decision to step down from her role was also prompted by feeling like there was a lack of “will” and “drive” to improve justice for rape survivors.

Maya Oppenheim reports:

‘Life as I knew it ended’: Government rape adviser quits over failures

Revealed: Record number of rape suspects on Britain’s streets amid ‘absolute scandal’ in court delays

Friday 6 October 2023 21:30 , Matt Mathers

The number of rape suspects out on bail has hit an all-time high as a huge backlog in the court system causes delays for tens of thousands of victims, figures uncovered by The Independent show.

Latest government statistics highlight a record 1,617 rape cases where the defendant was out on bail while their case was backlogged in the crown courts – up from 318 five years ago – while the number of alleged rape victims waiting more than two years for justice has also soared to new levels.

Andy Gregory reports:

Revealed: Record number of suspected rapists on Britain’s streets

Boris Johnson blasts Rishi Sunak’s plan to ban smoking for future generations

Friday 6 October 2023 20:30 , Matt Mathers

Boris Johnson has blasted Rishi Sunak‘s plan to ban smoking for future generations, branding it “barmy” and unworkable.

The ex prime minister said Mr Sunak’s proposal would “criminalise yet another variety of ordinary behaviour” with “no thought to the consequences for those who have to make it work”.

Jon Stone reports:

Boris Johnson blasts Rishi Sunak’s plan to ban smoking for future generations

Sunak squirms on This Morning as he asks if he’s ‘ashamed’ over Braverman’s ‘hurricane’ rhetoric

Friday 6 October 2023 19:25 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak ducked awkward questions on whether he was “ashamed” of Suella Braverman’s rhetoric on immigration after she warned a “hurricane” on migrants was on the way.

The PM suggested multiculturalism was working in the UK “better than anywhere in the world” – contradicting his home secretary, who had claimed in a speech to a US think tank that it had “failed”.

Adam Forrest reports:

Sunak squirms as he asks if he’s ‘ashamed’ over Braverman rhetoric

Could Nigel Farage really end up leading the Tory party?

Friday 6 October 2023 18:25 , Matt Mathers

George Osborne has reignited speculation that the former Ukip chief could rejoin the Conservative Party and become its leader. Sean O’Grady weighs the likelihood of a new Brexit Tory takeover.

Read his full piece here:

Could Nigel Farage really end up leading the Tory party?

Dale Vince switches funding from Just Stop Oil to youth vote campaign

Friday 6 October 2023 17:12 , Matt Mathers

Green energy industrialist Dale Vince has announced he will stop funding eco-group Just Stop Oil and will instead focus on an anti-Conservative campaign to get the vote out among the younger generation.

The Ecotricity founder, who has donated to both climate activists and Labour, said continued disruption was “pointless” as the Government will not change its stance on oil and gas drilling in the North Sea.

Full report:

Dale Vince switches funding from Just Stop Oil to youth vote campaign

John Rentoul answers your Tory party conference questions

Friday 6 October 2023 16:00 , Tara Cobham

Rishi Sunak has been under fire this week following his first Conservative Party conference speech.

Not one but two former Tory prime ministers attacked Mr Sunak’s plans to ditch the northern leg of HS2 and ban young people from ever being able to buy cigarettes.

While Liz Truss said she would vote against plans to eradicate smoking, David Cameron said that a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” had been lost in scrapping HS2.

In his keynote speech, the PM also set out plans to replace A-levels and make pupils study maths and English to age 18 and pledged to spend the £36bn saved from HS2 to boost transport projects across the country

But what has the conference taught us about the current state of the Conservative Party? And what do the prime minister’s plans mean for the future of Tories?

Chief political correspondent John Rentoul explains:

John Rentoul answers 6 burning questions on Tory Party conference

Watch: Rishi Sunak asked ‘aren’t you ashamed’ over Braverman’s remarks

Friday 6 October 2023 15:30 , Tara Cobham

SNP leader has ‘days’ to save himself, says Alex Salmond

Friday 6 October 2023 15:00 , Tara Cobham

SNP leader Humza Yousaf has only “days” to save his first ministership following the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election defeat, according to former leader Alex Salmond.

The Alba Party leader said the result was something the SNP had “been asking for”, telling the Press Association: “I don’t think that quite gets the enormity of what he’s facing. In my view, Humza’s got days to save his first ministership.”

Mr Salmond claimed Mr Yousaf was “making things much worse" and has "fallen on his face in spectacular fashion".

But Mr Yousaf said there would be no major changes. “We’re not thinking about standing on anything other than the SNP’s message. We will reflect, we’ll reorganise, we’ll regroup … We are the biggest key player in the independence movement, I think that’s without any shadow of a doubt from anybody.”

Labour could take 42 seats in Scotland, says polling expert

Friday 6 October 2023 14:25 , Matt Mathers

An election expert has said that if the Rutherglen result was replicated at a general election it would see the Labour party win 42 seats in Scotland and SNP just six MPs.

Prof John Curtice said it has a momentum comparable with the run-up to the party’s 1997 landslide. “That potentially has implications for the overall outcome in the general election because if that were to happen, they would find it easier to get an overall majority.”

More comments from Curtice below:

Sunak saved ‘brilliant’ Beckham documentary for after conference

Friday 6 October 2023 14:00 , Tara Cobham

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has revealed he saved watching the “absolutely brilliant” David Beckham Netflix documentary until after the Conservative Party Conference.

Mr Sunak told This Morning presenters Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary that he was thoroughly enjoying the new four-part series, which takes a look at the life of David Beckham.

He made the admission during a quick-fire quiz with the hosts when he asked if he preferred watching Big Brother or I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.

Mr Sunak said: “I am watching the Beckham Netflix documentary right now.”

Alison Hammond asks: “Is it good?”

He replies: “I saved it for after the conference. It is absolutely brilliant, I am reliving my childhood.”

Lucy Leeson reports:

Rishi Sunak watching ‘brilliant’ Beckham Netflix documentary after Tory conference

Rachel Reeves drops flagship business announcement

Friday 6 October 2023 13:30 , Tara Cobham

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has dropped an announcement on a new business council from her Labour conference speech after an intervention by Jeremy Hunt and senior Tories.

The Labour frontbencher was planning to use her Monday speech at the party conference in Liverpool to reveal a new advisory body involving some of the UK’s biggest companies.

But the chancellor and other senior Tories are thought to have contacted the firms involved to advise them against the move because it would be too political.

Adam Forrest reports:

Rachel Reeves drops business announcement after Hunt intervenes

Sunak squirms as asked if he’s ‘ashamed’ over Braverman rhetoric

Friday 6 October 2023 13:00 , Tara Cobham

Rishi Sunak ducked awkward questions on whether he was “ashamed” of Suella Braverman’s rhetoric on immigration after she warned a “hurricane” on migrants was on the way.

The PM suggested multiculturalism was working in the UK “better than anywhere in the world” – contradicting his home secretary, who had claimed in a speech to a US think tank that it had “failed”.

Asked on ITV’s This Morning if he was “ashamed” when he heard Ms Braverman talk about a “hurricane” of mass migration, Mr Sunak said the debate “gets charged a lot”.

Adam Forrest reports:

Sunak squirms as he asks if he’s ‘ashamed’ over Braverman rhetoric

Watch: Starmer labels Tory conference a ‘circus’

Friday 6 October 2023 12:45 , Tara Cobham

Sir Keir Starmer labelled this week’s Conservative Party conference “a circus” as he hailed Labour’s by-election win in Rutherglen and Hamilton West.

The Labour leader travelled to Scotland on Friday 6 October to celebrate with Michael Shanks, describing the win as a “seismic result” for his party.

Sir Keir also took aim at Rishi Sunak and the Tories as he addressed a crowd.

“Whilst we’ve been busy here, you’ll have seen the Tories have been in Manchester. What a circus,” he said.

“Rishi Sunak pretending that he’s going to do things differently? The nodding dog who passed all those decisions that he now says are a complete failure.”

Oliver Browning reports:

Starmer labels Tory conference a ‘circus’ as he celebrates Labour’s by-election win

Sunak ‘pretending he is going to do things differently’, says Starmer

Friday 6 October 2023 12:30 , Tara Cobham

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was “pretending he is going to do things differently” in his address to the Conservative Party conference earlier this week, Sir Keir Starmer has said.

The Labour leader told a victory rally in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency: “Whilst we have been busy here, you will have seen the Tories have been in Manchester. What a circus.

“Rishi Sunak pretending that he is going to do things differently. The nodding dog who passed all those decisions he now says are a complete failure.”

Starmer pitches Labour as ‘party of change’ at victory rally

Friday 6 October 2023 12:15 , Tara Cobham

Sir Keir Starmer pitched Labour as the “party of change” that voters could once again trust.

Speaking at a victory rally alongside Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar and Labour candidate Michael Shanks, the Labour leader said the electorate had “turned their back” on a Tory government “which didn’t represent them”.

He added: “But they also not so long ago saw a Labour Party that had drifted away from them.

“We’ve changed. And because we’ve changed we are now the party of change here in Scotland. We’re the party of change in Britain, we’re the party of change right across the whole country.”

Starmer says Labour ‘blew doors off’ in by-election

Friday 6 October 2023 12:02 , Tara Cobham

Sir Keir Starmer has said Labour “blew the doors off” in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

Speaking at a victory rally in Scotland, the Labour leader said to applause: “They said that we couldn’t change the Labour Party and we did it.

“They said that we couldn’t win in the south of England and the north of England, and we did it. They said ‘you’ll never beat the SNP in Scotland’ and Rutherglen, you did it.

“When I left here a week ago with the team, I said ‘you’ve got to win it’. You blew the doors off!”

He said he was “so proud” of Labour candidate Michael Shanks and his campaign.

Sarwar credits Starmer’s leadership with victory

Friday 6 October 2023 11:45 , Tara Cobham

Anas Sarwar has credited Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership of Labour with the party’s Rutherglen and Hamilton West victory.

The Scottish Labour leader told BBC Breakfast that Sir Keir’s campaigning in the seat was “hugely important”.

“The result that we had overnight would not have been possible if Keir Starmer hadn’t changed the UK Labour Party, if he hadn’t demonstrated that we can win the next general election, coming through the worst result in living memory to get us in a place where we can win that next general election.”

He also stressed that the party is not “complacent” and “the hard work is not done”.

Scottish Labour ‘targeting significant gains’ next general election

Friday 6 October 2023 11:15 , Tara Cobham

Anas Sarwar has said Scottish Labour is “targeting significant gains” at the next general election.

The party’s leader told BBC Breakfast: “I’m very clear that, actually, Scotland will lead the way in delivering a UK-wide Labour government.

“I think what you’ve seen happen in Scotland overnight is people move away and reject the politics of division, of chaos and incompetence, and instead express a desire for the fresh start, express a desire for change. They can now see that Scottish Labour is the vehicle for that change.”

He said the result in Rutherglen and Hamilton West was seismic because “two years ago when I became party leader, we were 32 points behind the SNP”.

Mr Sarwar added: “Two years later, we are winning a parliamentary by-election, having gained more than 50% of the vote, double the vote share of the SNP and a swing of 20%.”

SNP cannot carry on with ‘business as usual’, says its Westminster leader

Friday 6 October 2023 10:46 , Tara Cobham

The SNP cannot carry on with “business as usual” in light of its defeat to Labour in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, the party’s Westminster leader has said.

Stephen Flynn MP told BBC Breakfast: “It is important for us now to reflect on the scale of the defeat that we have had, to look internally at what’s gone wrong and to see what we can do better in future to ensure that we win this seat back in the general election next year.

“We have lost by a significant margin, we know that our vote has not turned out and we know that we need to remotivate people to vote for the Scottish National Party.

“Ultimately the Scottish National Party has unfinished business … and I want to get on and ensure that we are an independent nation before too long.

“The party needs to recognise it can’t just be business as usual. I don’t think anybody is going to say it should just be business as usual.”

‘Big challenge on our hands’, says SNP chief

Friday 6 October 2023 10:13 , Tara Cobham

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has told BBC Breakfast that the Rutherglen loss means “we have a big challenge on our hands”.

Nigel Farage could be future Tory party leader, says George Osborne

Friday 6 October 2023 10:00 , Tara Cobham

Nigel Farage could be a future Conservative leader because of the shift to the right, former Tory chancellor George Osborne has said.

The hard-right ex-Ukip and Brexit Party leader was given a warm welcome at the Tory conference in Manchester earlier this week – raising the prospect he be brought into the party.

Mr Farage was feted by Tory members, seen dancing with former home secretary Priti Patel, while Mr Sunak left the door open to his membership.

Adam Forrest reports:

Nigel Farage could be future Tory party leader, says George Osborne