He said the party must \u201cstep up another gear\u201d as jubilant MPs and activists gather in Liverpool after their win in Thursday\u2019s Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.<\/p>\n
A new patriotic membership card will be unveiled today with the \u00adslogan \u201cputting the country first\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cLabour is a proudly patriotic party,\u201d a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s all part of a bid to underline changes made since Jeremy Corbyn quit as leader in 2020.<\/p>\n
But his replacement has yet to resonate with voters.<\/p>\n
A Sunday Express survey by WeThink shows 57 per cent regard Starmer as \u201cuninspiring\u201d. Only 38 per cent say he is \u201cinspiring\u201d. Others are neutral or don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n
Tory attempts to portray the Labour leader as a \u201cflip-flopper\u201d have also struck home \u2013 51 per cent of voters saying he is \u201cindecisive\u201d while 44 per cent disagree.<\/p>\n
It comes after he ditched plans to bring energy utilities into \u201ccommon ownership\u201d and insisted that he is committed to Brexit despite having backed a second referendum.<\/p>\n
Almost half of voters \u2013 48 per cent \u2013 also regard him as \u201cuntrustworthy\u201d, with 47 per cent taking the opposite view.<\/p>\n
But in better news for the Labour leader, who arrived in Liverpool yesterday with his deputy Angela Rayner and who is due to deliver his keynote speech on Tuesday, he<\/p>\n
is regarded as more competent<\/p>\n
than rival Rishi Sunak on a range of key issues.<\/p>\n
More voters said they trusted him than the Prime Minister to bring down knife crime, reduce NHS waiting lists and deliver better transport in the north of England.<\/p>\n
And 54 per cent even said they trusted him more than the Tory leader to deliver Brexit.<\/p>\n
Mr Sunak was ahead when voters were asked who they trusted to end small boat crossings, with the backing of 52 per cent compared to 48 per cent for Starmer.<\/p>\n
Tory strategists hope to turn the election into a personal battle between the leaders.<\/p>\n
And they believe voters will \u00adconclude that Mr Sunak is the right choice to lead the country.<\/p>\n
Last night a Labour source said: \u201cThe conference will be a chance for Keir to put to bed any lingering doubts people have about him.\u201d<\/p>\n
And an MP said: \u201cWe know the Conservatives think this is an issue. The leader\u2019s overall profile can always be improved and I\u2019m sure Keir will be working on that.\u201d<\/p>\n
In an eve-of-conference message to activists, Starmer said: \u201cWe\u2019re heading in the right direction. But now is the time to step up another gear.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have less than 18 months until the next \u00adgeneral election. We must spend every one of those days showing that only Labour can deliver for working people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Announcements in the run-up to the conference included pledges to improve NHS diagnosis services with AI technology and doubling the number of hospital scanners.<\/p>\n
The building of more council housing and ensuring police target sex offenders who pose a risk to women are also key policies.<\/p>\n
Labour has also said it would require employers to set out plans to support staff going through the menopause.<\/p>\n
Party chairwoman Annel\u00ad\u00adiese Dodds said: \u201cIf Labour wins the next election, I will become the first-ever Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, dedicated to advocating for women in all their diversity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite polls showing that Labour is on course for victory, MPs are wary. One said: \u201cYou\u2019ve got to be \u00adoptimistic but with caution.\u201d<\/p>\n
But the party is in high spirits after gaining Rutherglen and Hamilton West from the SNP with a swing of 20.4 per cent, described by one MP as a \u201cseismic shift\u201d.<\/p>\n
And Labour received another boost last night when a poll by Survation shows them heading for a landslide 190-seat majority, with 420 MPs, while the Conservatives would only secure 149.<\/p>\n
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