Rolling coverage from the first day of the party’s annual conference on the south coast
- Starmer ditches key part of plan to change Labour leader selection rules
- ‘Keir has no choice but to go bold’: Starmer’s conference high-wire act
- See more Labour conference 2021 coverage
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner tore into “Tory sleaze” and tax-dodging firms as she set out plans to boost workers’ rights, PA reports.
Within the first 100 days of a Labour government, the party said it will legislate to launch sector-wide fair pay agreements, starting in social care, as part of a “fundamental change” to the economy.
There’s only one rule with this Cabinet and that is that there’s one rule for them and one rule for all of us.
We’ll stop the dodgy deals handing public money to ministers’ mates. It’s bad news for my pub landlord, but good news for the public.
And let me tell you this – as your minister for procurement, I won’t sign off a single penny that goes to a company that exploits its workers or doesn’t pay its taxes.
Many of the key workers who got us through this crisis, including our dedicated care staff, are on poverty wages and insecure contracts. Fair pay agreements would help end this injustice and be a game-changer for millions of working families. Giving workers and their unions more power to bargain collectively is the best way to improve pay and working conditions across Britain. These much-needed proposals are about making sure that hard work pays off for everyone.
These are from the i’s Paul Waugh
Lab General secretary David Evans says everyone remembers why they joined the party. Activist heckles “cos of @jeremycorbyn!” prompting singing of ‘oh Jeremy Corbyn’
Evans then wins applause as he says he joined in 1979 because his brother had learning difficulties..
His brother Rob had been bullied and that made him vow to join a party to fight for everyone. Rob,who stood as lab candidate in his local council ward in 2018, is in the audience
Evans says he’s been accused of being part of one faction in Labour but says the only faction he’s in is the ‘organising faction’, the unsung army who get Labour govts elected.
Card vote called and done, on Evans confirmation as general secretary. Result due out early tmrw morning.
Will give first accurate clue to balance of left/centre among grassroots here in Brighton
Other votes due today on rule changes like giving conference say over contentious PLP whipping decisions, and donations, but unlikely to be close.
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