Sir Keir Starmer sent a blunt message to those who “still hanker” for the “weak and cowardly fantasy of populism”, dismissing criticism as “mere glitter on a shirt cuff” — referencing the time a protester gatecrashed last year’s speech to shower the prime minister with sparkles.
During a major speech at Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool on Tuesday, 24 September, the prime minister declared that “all the shouts and bellows” and “bad faith advice from people who still hanker for the politics of noisy performance” was “water off a duck’s back” to him.
It came after opponents attacked Sir Keir and his top team for accepting gifts including clothing from Labour donor Lord Waheed Alli.
