Overview

• In a BBC interview on Sunday, Keir Starmer vowed to “confront” and “beat” Reform UK, calling its proposed migrant reapplication plan racist and immoral and framing 2029 as a choice between patriotic renewal and toxic division.
• The conference opens in Liverpool with his position under strain, as a YouGov reading puts his favorability at 27% and analysts expect members to air dissatisfaction.
• Labour’s standing is hampered by weak domestic indicators, including a slowing economy, a four‑year high in unemployment, record illegal migration and inflation still higher than elsewhere in Europe.
• Recent turbulence includes Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner’s resignation over a tax error, the dismissal of U.S. ambassador Peter Mandelson after scrutiny of his links to Jeffrey Epstein, and the departure of several Downing Street advisers.
• Internal maneuvering looms, with October’s deputy leader vote between Lucy Powell and Bridget Phillipson seen by some as a potential signal on Starmer’s authority, alongside renewed speculation about Andy Burnham’s ambitions.