Thank you, Conference. And I do mean that from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, Conference for everything you have done to fulfil the basic duty of this party – our clause one – so we can return this great nation to the service of working people. Thank you, Conference.

People said we couldn’t do it, but we did. And we did it together. And look at this now, a record-breaking conference. The biggest attendance ever in our history. And such a far cry from my first conference speech to a live audience of one – the camera man. Socially distanced, in an arts centre in Doncaster. Remember that? Don’t worry, most people don’t. Not even the camera man.

But I bet you do remember the year after, Conference. In Brighton – three years ago. The turning of the tide. A fight for the heart and soul of this party. People said we were going too far. People said we were going too fast. They didn’t want to face the country. They wanted to go back to a comfort zone, take the easier road to nowhere, duck the challenge of change. But we stood firm, Conference. We stood together, Conference, and we won.

So take pride in your victory. Take pride that Labour won in every single region of England. Take pride that Labour won in Wales. Take pride that Labour won in Scotland. But never forget that this opportunity is only here because we changed the party.

Country first, party second – that isn’t a slogan. It’s the foundation of this project. A pact with working people we must fulfil to retain the privilege of serving their interests: on economic stability, national security, wealth creation, protecting our borders, rooting out anti-Semitism, standing with Nato and Ukraine.

The changes we made are permanent. Irreversible. And the work of service never stops. Country first, party second.

But Conference, for many people in this city the speech they may remember was the one here two years ago. Because that’s when I promised, on this stage, that if I ever had the privilege to serve our country as prime minister, one of my first acts would be to bring in a Hillsborough law – a duty of candour. A law for Liverpool. A law for the 97. A law that people should never have needed to fight so hard to get, but that will be delivered by this Labour government.

It’s also a law for the sub-postmasters in the Horizon scandal. The victims of infected blood. Windrush. Grenfell Tower. And all the countless injustices over the years, suffered by working people at the hands of those who were supposed to serve them. Truth and justice concealed behind the closed ranks of the state.

And Conference, this is the meaning of clause one. Because today I can confirm that the duty of candour will apply to public authorities and public servants, the Bill will include criminal sanctions, and that the Hillsborough law will be introduced to parliament before the next anniversary in April.

It’s work that shows how a government of service must act in everything it does. Our driving purpose. To show to the working people of this country that politics can be a force for good. Politics can be on the side of truth and justice. Politics can secure a better life for your family through the steady but uncompromising work of service.

Because service is the responsibility and opportunity of power. The pre-condition for hope. The bond of respect that can unite a country, bind us to the politics of national renewal. Service doesn’t mean we’ll get everything right. It doesn’t mean everyone will agree. But it does mean we understand that every decision we take, we take together and that it is our duty to the British people to face up to necessary decisions in their interest. And I mean Conference, you know me by now, so you know all those shouts and bellows, the bad faith advice from people who still hanker for the politics of noisy performance, the weak and cowardly fantasy of populism – it’s water off a duck’s back. Mere glitter on a shirt cuff. It’s never distracted me before, and it won’t distract me now.

This is a long-term project. I never said otherwise, not even in the campaign. But Conference, make no mistake, the work of change has begun. The patient, calm, determined era of politics as service has begun.

Planning: reformed. Doctors: back in theatre. New solar projects. New offshore wind projects. The onshore ban: lifted. Great British Energy: launched. One-word Ofsted judgements: ended. A Border Security Command. A National Wealth Fund: getting Britain building again. The Renters Reform Bill: stopping no fault evictions. And the Railway Services Bill: bringing railways back into public ownership.

And we’re only just getting started. A crackdown on knife crime. A real living wage. A modern industrial strategy. A 10-year plan for our NHS. Devolution to our nations, regions and cities. The biggest levelling-up of workers’ rights in a generation. More teachers. More neighbourhood police. More operations. Rebuilding our public services.

Change has begun – and every single one a necessary step on a longer journey. Five national missions that will deliver the higher growth, the safer streets, the cleaner energy, the greater opportunities, the healthier society that I know the British people want and need. The mandate that we won.

But also something even more precious. Our economy: stabilised. The foundations of this country: fixed. Tory rot: cleared away. So brick by brick, we can build a new home. A better home. Built to last. Built with pride. But above all built together.

A nation rebalanced so it once again serves the interests of working people. And through the power unleashed by that process, a renewal of who we are. A country that gives equal voice to every person. A country that won’t expect you to change who you are just to get on. A country that doesn’t just work for you and your family but one that recognises you, sees you, respects you as part of our story. A Britain that belongs to you.

Because make no mistake that is the Britain we are building. ‘Change’ isn’t a few extra lines on a graph moving in the right direction. ‘Change’ isn’t a good Labour policy or two delivered while the broader settlement remains untouched. No, change must mean nothing less than national renewal. Not a return to old ways, nor a new path entirely. But a rediscovery, in the full glare of the future, of who we are.

The trouble is, Conference, just as we found with the Labour party four years ago, Britain is no longer sure of itself. Our story is uncertain. The hope – beaten out of us. There is pride – of course there is. Pride in our communities especially. And there is respect too, all around the world.

Trust me, nobody anywhere doubts that this is a great nation. A nation known for our creativity. Our artistic skill. Our scientific genius. And of course, our pragmatism. Qualities that, combined with the industry and pride of working people, have not just rewritten our own story but also that of the world. We could do that again. In fact, we must.

Technology. Climate change. The ageing population. The movement of people. This is a time when great forces demand a decisive government prepared to face the future. We can see that again in the Middle East today. So I call again for restraint and de-escalation at the border between Lebanon and Israel. I call again for all parties to pull back from the brink. I call again or an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the return of the hostages and a recommitment to the two-state solution: a recognised Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.

And that’s the message I will take to the UN General Assembly when I travel there later today. Alongside our steadfast support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. And in this uncertain world, I also pay tribute to our armed forces for all they do to keep Britain safe.

But Conference, strength in this dangerous world depends on strength at home. And yet look at our country. Look at our country. Do you see a Britain where people feel, with the certainty that they deserve, that the future will be better for their children? Because when I was growing up,........

© The Spectator