Within seconds of @Keir_Starmer starting his speech, some left activists chant 'Oh Jeremy Corbyn'. I don't *think* Starmer heard it.
Best line so far from @Keir_Starmer as leftwinger heckles him. "This time on a Wednesday it's probably the Tories heckling me."
Huge applause from vast majority of audience.
Huge applause from vast majority of audience.
Heckling tactic clearly aimed at disrupting the whole speech. As he talked about "our worst defeat since 1935", one leftwinger shouts "It was your Brexit [second referendum to blame]."
Starmer risks an off-script joke - 'I'm not from a privileged background. My dad was a tool maker. Although, in a way, so was Boris Johnson's.'
Cue laughter
Cue laughter
"£15 an hour!" is the repeated heckle from other activists, a reference to the vote by conference for a higher minimum wage.
At some point, Starmer is going to have to deal with the hecklers by actually taking them head on. The jibe about hecklers helping the Tories was a start, but may not stop the constant interruption.
This being the modern Labour party, stewards may be reluctant to physically remove the hecklers...but Starmer's team must be tempted.
"Shouting slogans or changing lives conference," wins huge ovation as Starmer counters the hecklers.
"Throw them out!" shout his supporters.
"Throw them out!" shout his supporters.
The Left are in danger gifting Starmer the moment he needs here: defining himself as someone more interested in power than protest.
Starmer had nice line about crime: "I'm here to tell you what I stand for. But I also want to tell you what I won’t stand for..." before referencing anti-social behaviour and knife crime.
At some point, he may be tempted to use that line against the hecklers.
At some point, he may be tempted to use that line against the hecklers.
The heckling is now beyond parody. One activist just yelled 'free Julian Assange!'
Another decent jab at the PM:
"I don’t think Boris Johnson is a bad man. I think he is a trivial man. I think he’s a showman with nothing left to show. I think he’s a trickster who has performed his one trick."
"I don’t think Boris Johnson is a bad man. I think he is a trivial man. I think he’s a showman with nothing left to show. I think he’s a trickster who has performed his one trick."
Like I said, it's beyond parody now. "Where's Peter Mandelson?!" is the latest heckle.
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