The Labour Party hosted its annual conference at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool from Sunday 22 September to Wednesday 25.
Thousands of Labour Party members, including the 37 Scottish MPs, attended the conference – the first it has held while in government in 15 years.
Party conferences provide an opportunity for the membership to gather together and for the party leadership to set out its vision for the year ahead.
However, the conference came amidst controversy around the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, for accepting over £100,000 worth of gifts since December 2019.
These include designer clothes, glasses, and corporate hospitality at Arsenal football matches.
Although it is not illegal for politicians to accept donations or hospitality, these gifts have been criticised for furthering a sense of distrust in politicians.
The Scottish National Party’s work and pensions spokesperson Kirsty Blackman told the BBC that:
“Voters were promised change but instead the Labour Party is copying the worst excesses of the Tories on sleaze, austerity cuts, and cronyism.”
This controversy and low approval ratings has overshadowed the Labour Party’s celebration of the landslide election victory in July.
Despite this, Jonny Alvarez-Buylla, President of Edinburgh Labour Students, described the atmosphere at the conference as “electric”.
Speaking to The Student, he added:
“I, along with other ELS members who attended, came away from conference fired up and inspired by the bold plans the cabinet set out to deliver change for the British people.”
During the conference, it was confirmed that Great British Energy (GBE) will be headquartered in Aberdeen, as well as having sites in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The publicly-owned energy company will invest in green energy and local projects, seeking to ensure better energy independence, create jobs, and lower energy bills.
Reacting to the announcement, Alvarez-Buylla said:
“The decision to base it in Scotland will play a huge role in the transition away from oil & gas in the North East of Scotland.
“It shows the influence of Scottish Labour MPs who are currently serving at the heart of Government.
“I think this reflects [the party’s] commitment to the people of Scotland, and the voters who put their trust in us to deliver real change.”
While Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, welcomed the creation of GBE in Scotland, the SNP have claimed that GBE will not do enough to reverse the impact of Labour’s ban on new North Sea oil and gas licences.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of State for Scotland and Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South, Ian Murray, used his speech to set out his commitment to Scotland.
In the speech, Murray criticised the ‘tragic failure of the SNP’ and called for a “grown-up politics” of cooperation .
Anas Sarwar, leader of the Scottish Labour Party, similarly used his speech to criticise the SNP.
Reflecting on the Scottish Labour Party’s success in July’s General Election, Sarwar said this was only “half the job”.
Setting his sights on the 2026 Scottish parliamentary elections, he added:
“[I]t is our chance to finish the job by electing a Scottish Labour government that works for everyone in Scotland.”
“Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends NATO Summit” by UK Prime Minister is licensed under CC BY 2.0.