KEIR Starmer suggested that the SNP “want Britain to fail” in a speech at the Labour Party conference.
The Prime Minister also levelled the accusation at Reform UK, the Conservative Party and the “extremes of the left” to applause from the assembled MPs, members and party officials.
He went into the Liverpool event with his party trailing Reform in the UK polls and the SNP in Scotland ahead of crunch elections next year, and with his position in No 10 being questioned.
Starmer used his party conference address to set out his vision for a “new country” and – in particular – outline his plan to take on Nigel Farage’s party.
The Prime Minister said securing the borders was a “reasonable demand”, but he hit out at people including Farage who cross a “moral line” on the issue.
Starmer then said Labour was the “patriotic party”, with all attendees in the conference hall handed Saltires, Union Jacks as well as England and Welsh flags – which many waved about throughout the hour-long speech.
Turning back to Reform UK, Starmer asked whether "self-appointed champions of working people" and Nigel Farage "love our country".
He says: "Do they want to serve our country – all of it.
"Our beautiful, tolerant, diverse country, every region, nation and city, or do they just want to stir the pot of division.
"Because that's what works for their interests."
Starmer asks whether "when push comes to shove" Reform "really want to fix our problems and renew Britain."
He says: "Or – as we've seen time and again, whether it's the SNP, the extremes of the left, or Reform and the Tories now.
"Do they actually want Britain to fail?"
He also said the “politics of grievance” – a term he has used repeatedly to attack Farage – was “the biggest threat we face because it attacks who we are”.
Calling for the public to “unite around a common good”, Starmer said they were engaged in a “fight for the soul of our country”.
Urging people to fly their flags, he said he would “fight with every breath I have” for the “tolerant, decent, respectful Britain I know”.
Reacting to Starmer's speech, SNP Westminster Leader Stephen Flynn said it "completely failed to face up to the fact that Labour promised people 'change' but have caused more chaos".
He added: "Labour promised better, but from rising energy bills to soaring food prices, people feel that things have become even worse. People remember those broken Labour promises, they won't remember this speech.
"There's a reason why Keir Starmer has suffered the worst fall in popularity of any British Prime Minister – people put their trust in him and the Labour Party and they have torn up that trust in only a year. One speech and more false promises won't rebuild the trust they have so casually and quickly thrown away."
Flynn went on: "This speech was billed as the moment Keir Starmer would outline the story of his government, but the truth is that people already know the story of this Labour Government. It's the story of the removal of the winter fuel payment from pensioners, the attack on support for the disabled and the massive hike in national insurance for small businesses.
"And for all the conference's attacks on Reform – Keir Starmer hasn't fought Farage, he has opened the door to him. You don't take on Farage by calling out his racism one day and then copying his policies the next.
"Scots would find the Prime Minister's supposed love for our saltire a bit more believable if Westminster stopped denying our democratic right to choose a future beyond the doom loop of broken, Brexit Britain.
"The change that people were promised won't come from Westminster – independence is the fresh start that Scotland needs.”
