Sawt Falasteen - UK's Starmer rules out austerity as Labour conference opens

The four-day gathering in Liverpool, northwest England, comes three months after Labour secured a runaway general election victory over the Conservatives.

Under pressure on several fronts, the party will have to strike a balance between celebrating Labour's long-awaited victory, defending its record, and not letting up on reminders of "difficult decisions" to come.

After months of gloom about Britain's economy, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner struck a more optimistic note in a key speech on Sunday, standing in front of a red background emblazoned with the slogan "change begins".

Peppered with light-hearted quips and applause, the speech recounted the government's first three months in power, with Rayner -- also in charge of housing and communities -- promising to "fix the foundations and put Britain back on the path to growth".

Ahead of the conference, Starmer told the Observer newspaper that his government had in 11 weeks done "far more than the last government did probably in the last 11 years".

He cited ambitious homebuilding targets, the setting up of a publicly-owned green energy investment body and the recruitment of police officers and teachers.

However, an Opinium poll for the Observer ahead of the conference showed that Starmer's approval rating had suffered a huge drop since July, with only 24 percent approving of the job he was doing.

- 'Changed Britain' -

Despite laying the groundwork for likely funding cuts and tax rises in the budget due at the end of October, Starmer told the Sunday Mirror he would not go "down the road of austerity".

He repeated his warning that he will do the "tough things first", but also told the Observer he would "make sure that our public services are functioning properly", and vowed to shield working people from tax rises.

Rayner meanwhile in her speech announced a "historic" overhaul of workers' rights will be put to parliament next month, including a ban on zero-hour contracts and a minimum wage raise.

She also announced housing measures, weeks after a damning report on the deadly 2017 Grenfell tower blaze. The measures include bringing forward a plan to tackle unsafe cladding and ensure affordable housing improvements.

Also included are an end to no-fault evictions and the extension of a law to tackle mould and damp in the private sector.

- Union pressure -

The conference brings a much-needed morale boost after a week dominated by negative headlines for Starmer.

He was reported to have received more than £100,000 ($132,000) in declared gifts and hospitality since December 2019 -- the most of any MP.

While the gifts were declared and did not breach parliamentary rules, the row broke as his government was pushing Britons to accept short-term "pain for long-term good" to help fill the £22-billion "black hole" in public finances that he says the Tories left behind.

Criticism by the media and opposition also followed an unpopular move by the government to means-test winter fuel payments that slashed benefits for 10 million pensioners.

The fallout from the cuts has also increased pressure on Labour from unions.

Unite trade union secretary general Sharon Graham said bringing about a turnaround on the policy was a "priority".

"It's a cruel policy. I'd like him to say that he's made a misstep and to reverse that policy," Graham told Sky News on Sunday.

Unite also unveiled a series of billboards across Liverpool to "defend the winter fuel payment".

Starmer hinted at further possible cuts, however.

Labour MPs gathered in Liverpool a day after the hard-right, anti-immigration Reform party -- which won a record 14 percent of the vote in July's election -- hosted a jubilant conference in Birmingham.

The Conservatives will hold their conference next week amid divisive battles over leadership and the direction of the party.

N.AbuHussein--SF-PST