Keir Starmer is set to warn people in the UK that "things will get worse before we get better" in his first keynote speech since winning the General Election with Labour.

The Prime Minister will promise that his Government will do the “hard work” to “root out 14 years of rot” under the Conservatives.

In a speech from Downing Street's rose garden, he is also expected to suggest that this summer's riots showed "cracks in our society" but that the "coming together" of communities afterwards showed "what we stand for".

Sir Keir's address marks a week before Parliament returns from a shortened summer recess and is expected to ramp up attacks on the Conservatives' legacy, BBC News reports.

The Conservatives themselves have described the speech as "nothing but performative" and an effort to "distract the public from the promises Starmer made that he never had any intention of keeping".

'Things will get worse before we get better'

Sir Keir will warn that "things will get worse" in the UK before they get better as the Labour administration tries to deal with "not just an economic black hole but a societal black hole".

He will say: "And that is why we have to take action and do things differently.

"Part of that is being honest with people - about the choices we face. And how tough this will be.

"Frankly - things will get worse before we get better."

The speech and press conference, ahead of MPs returning to Westminster on Monday (September 2), will be an attempt by Sir Keir to manage expectations about the time needed to turn things around.



He has previously spoken about the need for a “decade of national renewal”, implying at least two terms of Labour rule.

Sir Keir will add: "We will do the hard work needed to root out 14 years of rot and reverse a decade of decline.

“We’ll fix the foundations, protecting taxpayers’ money and people’s living standards. We’ll reform our planning system to build the new homes we need.


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“We’ll level up workers’ rights so people have security, dignity and respect. We’ll strengthen our border security. We’ll crack down on crime. We’ll transform public transport. And we’ll give our children the opportunities they need to succeed.”

Conservative Party chairman Richard Fuller said: “This is nothing but a performative speech to distract the public from the promises Starmer made that he never had any intention of keeping.

“In fewer than 100 days, the Labour Party has dumped its ambition of public service and become engulfed in sleaze, handed out bumper payouts to its union paymasters with ‘no strings’ attached and laid the groundwork to harm pensioners and tax working people.”