Starmer to speak at Labour conference, left alarmed by plan to tackle benefits fraud – UK politics live | Politics

Good morning. Keir Starmer is giving his speech to Labour’s conference this afternoon and, as the Guardian reports, his overall message will be one of qualified, long-term optimism. Another leader might have dressed up his message with poetic rhetoric, but Starmer will use a straightforward cliché and tell the audience that “there is light at the end of the tunnel”. He will say:

The truth is that if we make the tough decisions now for the long term, if we stick to the overriding purpose behind everything we do: higher economic growth – so that living standards in every community rise; future-proofing our NHS – so that waiting lists at your hospital are shorter; safer streets in your community; stronger borders; more opportunities for your children; clean British energy for your home; making our country a safer place… then we will reach the light at the end of the tunnel, that Britain is yours, much more quickly.

Here you will find our preview.

But the Times has been told the speech will also include plans to crack down on benefit fraud. It says Starmer will announce the government will bring forward a bill on fraud, error and debt – something that was not mentioned in the King’s speech just two months ago. It says:

This legislation allows fraud investigators to force banks to provide information about people’s finances if they suspect they are claiming benefits they are not entitled to.

It will also give them the power to search and seize people’s property in cases where organised criminal gangs are abusing the benefits system.

The crackdown is aimed at saving taxpayers £1.6 billion over the next five years by tackling fraud and cutting overpayments. Starmer will say he wants to ensure “every penny” of taxpayers’ money is spent on Labour’s promise to “rebuild public services”….

Banks must tell the benefits system if people have more than £16,000 in savings, the limit for claiming benefits, or have been abroad for more than the four weeks allowed for Universal Credit claimants. Inspectors will then investigate and try to claw back any overpayments.

The news that a right-wing newspaper has been informed of a crackdown on benefit fraudsters will worry the left and, in an interview on the Today programme this morning, John McDonnellshadow chancellor of the exchequer under Jeremy Corbyn, said this reminded him of George Osborne.

I don’t say this lightly. If you close your eyes and listen to the language being used, it’s almost like George Osborne speaking in 2010.

And when you hear politicians talking about ‘difficult choices’ or ‘painful decisions’, and then you also hear some rhetoric about fraud and social security, it is literally a carbon copy of a speech that George Osborne made in 2010.

McDonnell may have been thinking of Osborne comparing benefit fraudsters to muggers when he was Chancellor of the Exchequer in 2010, although Osborne was also associated with the language of ‘strivers versus scoundrels’ that the Tories later used during the coalition years to demonise people living on benefits.

But to be fair to Starmer, this does not appear to be the language he uses. The Times article includes a quote from Starmer’s speech this afternoon that was not included in the preview sent to all newspapers. It reads: Star will tell the conference:

We will reduce social security contributions because we tackle long-term illness and get people back to work. We will make every cent work for you because we will eradicate waste and tackle tax evaders. No stone will be left unturned.

The article also says that the welfare fraud initiative is a response to growing concerns that the benefits system is increasingly being targeted by organised crime. Earlier this year, the Department for Work and Pensions highlighted the conviction of a gang behind a £54m fraud.

Below you will find the program for today.

09.45 am: Conference opened.

10:00 am: Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, will open a debate on “Safer Streets, Stronger Policing”. Lisa Nandy, the Culture Secretary, will also speak at 11.35am.

11:00 am: Pat McFadden, Cabinet Secretary, takes part in a discussion session during a fringe meeting.

2:00 PM: Keir Starmer gives his keynote speech.

4:00 PM: Shabana Mahmood, the Minister of Justice, opens a debate on ‘restoring the foundations’.

Comments are not yet available, but they will be open soon. If you would like to contact me, please post below the (BTL) line or message me on social media. I can’t read all BTL messages, but if you put “Andrew” in a message addressed to me, I’m more likely to see it because I search for messages with that word.

If you have something urgent to report, social media is the best place to go. I still use X and I see something addressed to @AndrewSparrow very quickly. I also try Bluesky (@andrewsparrowgdn) and Threads (@andrewsparrowtheguardian).

I find it very helpful when readers point out errors, even small typos (no error is too small to correct). And I find your questions very interesting. I can’t promise to answer them all, but I will try to answer as many as possible, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.