Starmer’s Labour conference speech was calm and sensible: job done

Leader's address was a victory lap after marginalising the Corbynite left, and was well received in the hall

Occasionally a party conference speech gets remembered and quoted for years, but more often they are largely forgotten soon after conference season and this speech was in the latter category - a standard conference speech, rather than a belter. It was calm, rather than excitable; sensible, rather than audacious; realistic more than inspirational. But after three years of Boris Johnson, and with Liz Truss as PM, there is a lot to be said for calm, sensible and realistic. It was a successful speech for Starmer, in that it did the job.

There was policy in it, but the key takeway from the speech - and the feature for which it will be remembered - is what it said about Labour being back in the centre-ground of British politics. Starmer said:

Conference, on climate change, growth, aspiration, levelling-up, Brexit, economic responsibility we are the party of the centre ground.

Once again, the political wing of the British people, and we can achieve great things.