Sir Keir Starmer said Labour is "fundamentally different" to what it was like ahead of the last General Election as he took his campaign trail to Bury.
The party leader was joined at The Fusilier Museum with Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey and 10 ex-military Labour candidates.
He spoke about his commitment to national security and also said he is prepared to use nuclear weapons to defend the UK.
Sir Keir said national security was the most important issue of our times, and he attacked Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who was also in Bury on Friday, for challenging Labour’s credibility on the matter.
Read more: Sunak confident ahead of General Election as he visits Bury
He also spoke about why people in Bury should have faith in voting for a Labour government.
Sir Keir said: “We are a changed Labour Party, fundamentally different to the party that we put before the election in 2019, and it’s because we’ve lost seats like this that I was so determined to change the Labour Party.
“I took the view that when constituents here rejected the Labour Party in 2019 that we shouldn’t go back to them and say ‘what do you think we we're doing?’
"We should understand that we had got it wrong and we needed to change and make sure we were country first, party second and aligned with what matters to them on issues of inequality and opportunity and making sure that everyone feels that their living standards are going up.
“We’ve aligned with the priorities of the voters here deliberately, and that’s what being a changed Labour Party means.”
Read more: Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer agree to ITV debate in June
Labour's candidate for Bury North James Frith, who was present at the visit, said his party would help to bridge the £40m gap that the Labour-run council is currently faced with.
He said: “Austerity since 2010 continues at a pace for towns like ours and Bury Council has the unenviable task of having to execute those cuts that still come from the Tory government and so there is only so far you can go before you’re hitting bone on these cuts.
Read more: Mark Logan: Former MP backs Labour at next general election
“It’s why I am fully behind Keir and Rachel’s (Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves) vision to grow the economy at the fastest possible rate.
"Because if we grow the economy, there is a greater tax base on which to pay for public services, which in Bury have become public struggles under the Tory government.
“I look forward to voting for Keir and his premiership as a Labour government if we are given that honour, returned here in Bury North.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel