Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer: how did the leaders’ conference speeches compare?

Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer presented their cases for leadership at the Conservative and Labour Party conferences last week, attempting to convince undecided voters why their parties should lead the country.  

While the Prime Minister laid down several policy changes affecting younger generations, Starmer’s policy-light pitch gave his general election hopes a personal touch, citing his humble beginnings in an ‘underdog’ rise to becoming Labour leader. 

The personal touches in both party leaders’ speeches attempted to bridge the gap with uncertain voters. Akshata Murty, Sunak’s wife, introduced the Prime Minister, while Starmer again mentioned the “pebble-dashed semi” in which he grew up. 

Sunak predominantly focused on scrapping the Manchester leg of HS2 as a sign of a leader making the difficult decision when required, albeit a controversial one. For Northern voters and commuters across the country, a sign of insufficient funding for transport schemes, bridging the North-South divide that has plagued government policy for decades, may be a deciding factor.

The Prime Minister proposed a post-16 qualification, the ‘Advanced British Standard’, and a gradual ban on smoking. These policies, focused on younger generations, aim to create long-term change for education and healthcare in the UK. Sunak’s policy proposals, however, are likely to not come into effect for close to a decade and are dependent on the compliance of teaching unions and MPs. 

The British standard qualification would require students to study Maths and English during their A-Level years in a five-subject program. The proposal has been described by Sunak as “rigorous” and “knowledge-rich,” delivering on “the promise of parity of esteem between academic and technical education.” 

Starmer, once again, did not shy away from the enormity of the task at hand as Labour leader, needing to repair a decline in public services and modernise the economy in an era of change, similarly and consistently referenced by Sunak. The Labour Party, according to their leader, is in a position to reverse years of ineffective Conservative government action, but understand they must overcome enormous economic and social challenges.

The cost of living crisis was a key talking point for the Labour leader, reflecting on meeting a single mother in the Lake District earlier this year, struggling from the financial pressures of the inflated UK economy. For Starmer, the cost of living crisis “intrudes on the little things we love, whittles away at our joy,” appealing to the humanitarian nature of voters. 

Starmer defended Labour’s climate policies by stating that the Tory party “is prepared to scorch the earth just to get at us,” while his party is poised to heavily fund climate policies. However, Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, has diminished the £28 billion initially promised towards green investment by the Labour party.

The Prime Minister attacked the Labour leader for aiming to “do and say as little as possible and hope no one notices.” Sunak ended his speech with the radical, claiming that the Conservatives would “be bold” and that “it is time for change,” selling his election campaign on promised change. 

Similarly, the Labour leader focused on criticising the Conservatives, twisting their previous failures into an appeal to Tory voters to switch allegiances and vote for a Labour party which will deliver “a decade of national renewal.” Starmer’s address to Conservative voters reassured that Labour would be pro-business and keep taxes low. 

The party leaders have both promised significant change, leaving voters a decision between a Conservative Party intent on radical policy change and a Labour Party concentrated on large-scale renewal.