Labour leader shrugs off reputation as wooden performer as he delivers what feels like a manifesto launch
When is a pledge not a pledge? When it’s a mission.
Keir Starmer’s speech on Thursday had all the feel of a manifesto launch during a general election. The atrium setting of the Co-op building in central Manchester. Hundreds of people watching from the balconies above. Party activists bussed in to create a vibe. Several people stuck in the revolving doors. Most of the shadow cabinet squeezed into the front row, eyes rapt with wonder and hands bruised from the applause.