them in the round. that was look at them in the round. that was the last time anyone will vote effectively before the general election. it was a good set of results for us. but the challenge you put to me is a really important one and i think part of the answer to that is to be clear that the missions that we are setting out for the future of our country, i have said it is a decade of national renewal, that is a national project. so, you don't have to be tribally labour to want your family, your community, your country to improve sub in fact, i believe most reasonable people want that. so, i say that this is a project which is a project that i think most people, whether they voted labour in the past, whether they might vote labour now or whether they have never voted labour, could be part of this project because i genuinely think, it is at the heart of my politics, i

genuinely think that most reasonable, tolerant people in this country, that is the vast majority, do want to see their chances, their family's chances, their community's chances, they want to see their country move forward. this change labour party is a party for you. this project of national renewal is a project for you. thank you so much. applause ijust wanted applause i just wanted to follow up on applause ijust wanted to follow up on beth's question— ijust wanted to follow up on beth's question about ambition and i wanted to ask_ question about ambition and i wanted to ask you _ question about ambition and i wanted to ask you about your economic mission — to ask you about your economic mission. you have confirmed they're sort of— mission. you have confirmed they're sort of that— mission. you have confirmed they're sort of that you aim to get the fastest — sort of that you aim to get the fastest growth in the g7. sort of that you aim to get the fastest growth in the 67. if you don't _ fastest growth in the 67. if you don't achieve that, we have failed in your— don't achieve that, we have failed in your economic mission?- don't achieve that, we have failed in your economic mission? well, we set that out — in your economic mission? well, we set that out with _ in your economic mission? well, we set that out with the _ in your economic mission? well, we set that out with the aim _ in your economic mission? well, we set that out with the aim of- set that out with the aim of fulfilling it. it is really tough. some people say to me, the mission is not ambitious enough, they are really, really tough. the highest growth in the g7 is a really tough mission for some getting to clean

power by 2030 is a really tough mission. most people say, that's going to be hard. i'm not sure. and then we go through what we are thinking, how we will work and most people say, i can see it as possible. that is the mindset. it is possible, we can do this. therefore, we will be measured against it and i think we can turn this around. i think we can turn this around. i think the economic growth, if we look at what the inhibitors are, the planet laws getting in the way, the fact the grid doesn't connect up quickly enough, we can't do infra structure, make decisions quickly enough, there are some examples i could give you, the way we partner with business. i think we can do this. that's our ambition, that is why we set out as a mission and you and others can then measure us against it but for it to happen, we need the first steps which is honestly what we are setting out today. honestly what we are setting out toda . ~ , , ., . .,

honestly what we are setting out toda . ~ , i. . ., ., today. why did you decide to omit housin: today. why did you decide to omit housing and _ today. why did you decide to omit housing and workers' _ today. why did you decide to omit housing and workers' rights - today. why did you decide to omit housing and workers' rights from | today. why did you decide to omit i housing and workers' rights from the steps. _ housing and workers' rights from the steps. does — housing and workers' rights from the steps, does that mean you are not committed — steps, does that mean you are not committed to them because mike and one more. _ committed to them because mike and one more, can the public expect to see six— one more, can the public expect to see six steps materialise within two terms _ see six steps materialise within two terms of _ see six steps materialise within two terms of a — see six steps materialise within two terms of a labour government? yes, it's the answer _ terms of a labour government? yes, it's the answer to _ terms of a labour government? yes, it's the answer to the _ terms of a labour government? yes it's the answer to the second question. that is why we are doing so much now about what we need to do to deliver on these missions because we cannot be complacent about the election. every vote has to be earned and the challenge has just been put to me, quite rightly, how do you persuade more people to come on board? we must be humble about that and own every vote but we won't be forgiven if we aren't prepared on day one, if we are lucky enough to come into serve, that is why i am confident we can deliver this. over five or ten years, a decade of national renewal is how i've set it out. on the question about housing and workers' rights, they are

integral to this. the fact we have first steps doesn't mean that all other steps, all other parts of our programme are put to one side. these are simply the steps that we can set out saying, these are the first things we can do, there is a six of them here, this is a discussion that you want to have the country, doesn't take away from any other commitment is we have made because all of these commitments taken together build up to the five missions and the five missions are about changing our country for the future. and that is really important. i willjust finish with this because i feel it so strongly. i say this, whichever political party anyone supports, to understand people voting for other political parties, wanting other political parties, wanting other political parties in power, but if you take these ia years. to leave your country in a worse state after ia years than you found it is unforgivable in politics, whichever party you support. i fundamentally

believe that and i'm not prepared to see a labour government that doesn't materially improve our country so that we can genuinely look back in five or ten years' time and say, do you know what? it is better now than it was. we got more chances, opportunities, equality now than we had before. this country has moved forward and i have moved forward, my family, my community has moved forward with it and that is what this is all about but for that, you need a series missions, you need first steps, you need a different mindset in politics. thank you all so much. thank you for being here. applause studio: there we have the labour leader sir keir starmer answering questions from the media after he set out what he called first steps that labour would take if its party wins the general election. there were six steps which he said were fully funded and ready to go. at the end of his speech, he held up a pledge card saying one card, six

steps in your hand, a plan to change the country. he started the speech in a similar way to he hasjust ended it saying labour seat company the opportunity to change the country and put it back into service of working people. listening to all of working people. listening to all of that was our political correspondent damian grammaticas and hejoins us now. damian, we now have these six pledges or holding up a pledge card at the end, similar to tony blair in 1997 and people in the question is, thejournalists, making that point saying it was very similar to what tony blair did in 1997 and sir keir making the point that he is trying to take labour from opposition into power and that would only be for the fourth time. it is quite an uphill struggle that he does have?— it is quite an uphill struggle that he does have? yes, that's right. i think if you _ he does have? yes, that's right. i think if you sort _ he does have? yes, that's right. i think if you sort of _ he does have? yes, that's right. i think if you sort of step _ he does have? yes, that's right. i think if you sort of step back - he does have? yes, that's right. i think if you sort of step back and | think if you sort of step back and

look at this, he was asked that and he said this is a very different moment to 1997 but a very similar sort of intent, exactly as you say. he pointed back to previous labour leaders who had won from opposition, taken labour into power but labour is deeply conscious of the fact that it has only done that a handful of times, a couple of times before. so, sir keir starmer was keen to point out that his task since he became labour leader has been this several step process of transforming the labour party, he said was the first thing, recognising that the scale of defeat underjeremy corbyn, pointing out and putting the focus on the government that was incompetent and unable to deliver, he said. and this is the third step, labour showing how it would seek to change things.

i think the crucial thing really here before we talk about necessarily any of the detail, is the picture you got here. the absolutely central thing here, sir keir starmer with his sleeved rolled up, no tile, contrast to all of the people in jackets and ties behind him, looking informal, reading not from a prepared speech on the autocue but from bullet points. it was quite a flowing, off—the—cuff kind of delivery. all of that designed to send a message which is that here is someone and a party who are prepared, ready, want to get stuck in and start doing things and changing things and that is kind of the core of his message there. it was what he said when it was pointed out to him and he said, well, some of these things sound similar to what the conservatives are talking about. economic growth, tackling migration, that sort of thing. sir

keir starmer wanted to say he was all about delivering serious change and a serious policy, not gimmicks and a serious policy, not gimmicks and that was there in the presentation and the whole design of this event as well. find presentation and the whole design of this event as well.— this event as well. and interesting, he was very — this event as well. and interesting, he was very keen — this event as well. and interesting, he was very keen to _ this event as well. and interesting, he was very keen to stress - this event as well. and interesting, he was very keen to stress that - he was very keen to stress that these steps are fully funded on that economic ground.— these steps are fully funded on that economic ground. yes, again, labour knows that this _ economic ground. yes, again, labour knows that this is _ economic ground. yes, again, labour knows that this is a _ economic ground. yes, again, labour knows that this is a vulnerability. - knows that this is a vulnerability. it has always been a perennial conservative attack line against labour, that you can't trust labour with the economy, you can't trust labour on taxes, labour would increase taxes. in order to neutralise that, what we have had, and this is nothing new in this speech, this has been there all along, that labour, when it is putting forward policies, wants to say that these are costed, it knows how much they would cost, it knows where the money would come from. great british energy, setting up this energy company that would seek to deliver clean energy, funded by

windfall tax on energy companies put up windfall tax on energy companies put up schoolteachers, one the other pledges, funded by taxing private school fees so that sort of thing is what they are keen to do. that's not new in this. what is new is this attempt, as keir starmer was doing, to focus on some things that people can hold in their minds that labour would seek to do soon after coming into office or seek to get working at soon after coming into office and he actually went and said, we are already talking to different groups, doctors, for example, about how to be delivering extra appointments in the evenings and weekends so that we can be ready to do this. again, all about this idea that labour wants to show it is preparing and gearing up to bring some sort of change. that is the message they want to send. and looking ahead to the general election, we now know that these are

six points of what really going to be hammered home by the labour party as we enter into what we are already in, the long campaign ahead of that. not evenjust looking in, the long campaign ahead of that. not even just looking ahead, i in, the long campaign ahead of that. not evenjust looking ahead, i mean right now, this was the sort of launch of these points but what it is going to be accompanied by is a serious spending by labour, the biggest spending since the last election, on ad campaigns and that will mean posters in constituencies, it will mean vans driving around with a message on them and people may well start seeing things coming through their doors. so, labour shifting a gear, if you like. you may not be in an official election campaign, we don't know when that might happen, but labour sort of upping the focus and pace and again, you saw that in the fact that what we had there today was sir keir starmer and all of his shadow cabinet, all of there, each one of them, the bit before he spoke, if

you were there, you saw each shadow cabinet minister, or the key once for these pledges, standing up and giving a focus on their area and in several of those cases, too, and invited member of the public, a businessman, someone who had been receiving cancer treatment on the nhs, people like that who were there to say they endorse what labour stands for. so, again, focus on message and delivery, that is what this is about. it message and delivery, that is what this is about-— this is about. it was interesting, one of the _ this is about. it was interesting, one of the questions which - this is about. it was interesting, | one of the questions which came this is about. it was interesting, - one of the questions which came from beth rigby at sky news, questioning whether he was scaling down his promises that he set out in the five missions last year and he had to explain that the five missions were still there but these are the specific six point plan that he wants to start off with a. yes. exactl . wants to start off with a. yes. exactly. worth _ wants to start off with a. yes. exactly. worth saying - wants to start off with a. yes. exactly. worth saying is - wants to start off with a. yes. exactly. worth saying is this | wants to start off with a. yes exactly. worth saying is this could be potential problem for labour, the slight confusion here between five missions, six pledges and that opens

up missions, six pledges and that opens up a sort of space, really, and you did hear some of the questions, too, which reflect what some of the conservatives lines are here. but you have seen keir starmer make pledges before, they say he made pledges before, they say he made pledges when he ran to be labour leader and he has ditched those, that he made pledges in the past couple of years and that of those have been scaled back. so, things like transforming and investing, what was it, £26 billion or however many billions it was in clean energy? that number has gone. sir keir starmer saying there is still a pledge for clean energy, so the charge is, that will come from the conservatives, already hearing it today, we have heard it many, many times over the past week so we will hear it many more times over the coming weeks is that sir keir starmer makes pledges but doesn't keep them. but you can't trust him. but this is not someone who sticks to his word. that this is someone

who has changed positions fundamentally in the past from supporting jeremy corbin to where he is now. so, sir keir starmer trying to address those head—on saying he is all about focusing on what can be done and going back to your point about tony blair, he talked about tony blair, he said one thing about tony blair, he said one thing about tony blair, he said one thing about tony blair as he won three elections and that is at the heart of sir keir starmer�*s idea that changing the labour party and then trying to make it fit to govern, fit to win an election. it fit to govern, fit to win an election-— it fit to govern, fit to win an election. �* , , ,.,, , ., ,., election. and i suppose it is about whether these _ election. and i suppose it is about whether these six _ election. and i suppose it is about whether these six steps _ election. and i suppose it is about whether these six steps have - election. and i suppose it is about whether these six steps have cut i whether these six steps have cut through with the general public as we go into the general election? yes, and notjust the six steps, i think the other thing to focus on here is sir keir starmer. his position, the fact that he is front and centre there is the figure being

put forward by labour, very much pushing him to the front of events today because it seems clear they will want to push him to the front of an election campaign. i think they feel fairly confident about putting him up against rishi sunak and saying to the public, you choose. but equally, the conservatives saying that they don't think labour have a plan, that they have plans to deliver, that they are on track with things like the rwanda plan. so, this is shaping up to give you the sense of what is coming down the track. ~ ,., you the sense of what is coming down the track. �* ,., ., you the sense of what is coming down the track. ~ ,., ., ., ., the track. also on that and the election. _ the track. also on that and the election. it _ the track. also on that and the election, it was _ the track. also on that and the election, it was interesting, i the track. also on that and the l election, it was interesting, the daily mail talking about how some voters had abandoned labour in the recent local elections over issues including gaza.— recent local elections over issues including gaza. yes, and we know that has been _ including gaza. yes, and we know that has been a _ including gaza. yes, and we know that has been a real _ including gaza. yes, and we know that has been a real source - including gaza. yes, and we know that has been a real source of - that has been a real source of difficulty for labour. you are right. we saw it in the local

elections, there were certainly council