Yahoo News Labour Party conference: What happened on Sunday?
What's happening?
The Labour Party conference began on Sunday, as the party set out its plans and policies ahead of a possible general election next year.
The conference in Liverpool comes as polls suggested Labour could be in line for a landslide victory over the Tories in an election.
The first day of the conference included leader Sir Keir Starmer's pledge to scrap the government’s scheme to send asylum seekers to Rwanda even if it cleared the courts and proved successful in deterring English Channel crossings, as well as NHS proposals including an extra £1.1bn for NHS staff overtime for evening and weekend shifts to bring down NHS waiting lists.
Starmer, who has faced criticism for being too "timid", insisted he had plans to grow the economy, build more houses and get the NHS back on its feet.
Over the next few days the party is due to debate 12 topics selected by Labour delegates, including an NHS fit for the future; defence; industrial strategy, education and skills; ethics and integrity in politics; technology and AI in the workplace; critical infrastructure; violence against women and girls; social care workforce; challenges facing retail and the high street; Ukraine; a New Deal For Working People; and energy.
Read more: Keir Starmer says he would reverse Rwanda deportation policy – even if it reduces small boat crossings (Yahoo News UK)
Here is more on some of the major developments to come out of day one of the Labour conference.
Starmer and Rayner address immigration, the NHS and housing
As well as pledging to scrap the controversial Rwanda deportation scheme if he became prime minister, Starmer also announced NHS proposals, including an overtime plan to provide an extra two million operations, scans and appointments to help bring waiting lists down.
His deputy Angela Rayner said the party would implement plans to bolster workers’ rights, including protections for gig workers and closing the gender pay gap, within 100 days of taking office.
She told party members: "Conference, I’ve heard some rumours that we’ll be watering down our New Deal For Working People.
"Be in no doubt – not with Keir and I at the helm.
"We’ll ban zero-hour contracts, and fire-and-rehire, and give workers basic rights from day one.
"We’ll go further and faster in closing the gender pay gap, make work more family-friendly, and tackle sexual harassment.
"And we won’t stop there. We’ll ensure that unions can stand up for their members. We will boost collective bargaining, to improve workers’ pay, terms and conditions.”
She later added: "But it can only be completed with Labour in power – and as deputy prime minister, I will personally table the legislation implementing our New Deal, within 100 days of taking office."
Labour accused of being too 'timid'
Labour faced criticism for being too 'timid' as its conference got underway.
Unite union boss Sharon Graham vowed to keep Sir Keir’s "feet to the fire", saying his party had to make a "better offer" for workers.
The leader of Labour’s biggest union backer told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: "I want them to win.
"But there’s a difference between limping into Number 10 and being carried in – actually carried in – there to say, look, actually this person is going to come in and they’re going to bat for us."
She added: "I’m going to keep Labour’s feet to the fire.
"I absolutely want a Labour government, of course, but I want a Labour government that is going to make real change to people’s lives. And I think at the moment Labour have been too timid."
Labour grandee Lord Peter Mandelson said he agreed with Graham, the head of the Unite union, telling the same programme: "I agree that we need more than policy tweaks and we need more than small twists in the policy dial."
Meanwhile, RMT secretary general Mick Lynch told a fringe event that the party should be careful not to "make an enemy of the trade unions".
He said: "If you don’t deliver for a working class agenda that improves the lives and the prospects of our people, we will criticise you and we will slap you down.
"If you do the right stuff you will find us a great friend, but don’t make an enemy of the trade unions, and don’t make an enemy of working people in this country."
Read more: Unite union boss Graham says she will hold ‘timid’ Starmer’s ‘feet to the fire’ (The Independent)
Rayner addresses housing during speech
During her speech, Rayner pledged that Labour would "deliver the biggest boost in affordable and social housing for a generation", including new council housing.
She said her party would reform the planning system, strengthen renters’ rights, and abolis leasehold land tenure.
She said: "Labour will achieve rental reform where the Tories have failed for four and a half years, finishing the job by banning ‘no fault’ evictions.
"We’ll give first-time buyers ‘first dibs’ on new developments in their communities, with a comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme for those who don’t have access to the bank of mum and dad.
"We’ll end the medieval leasehold system, with root and branch reforms.
"We will deliver planning reform to build the houses the next generation so desperately needs."
Read more: Labour sets target of 1.5m new homes over five years (The Guardian)
