Labour leader Keir Starmer has been heckled by a small number of people during his eagerly awaited speech at the Labour Party conference in Brighton.
Starmer’s speech was met with some derision by a pocket of protesters in the audience who held up red cards and shouted “£15” - in reference to Labour’s refusal to back a scheme to increase the minimum wage to £15.
There were also reports of people shouting “Oh Jeremy Corbyn”, criticising his Brexit policy and another person asking “where’s Peter Mandelson?”
Although the heckling was fairly consistent throughout his speech, Starmer did manage to hit back at the hecklers, asking them: “Shouting slogans or changing lives?”
In another retort, he said: “At this time on a Wednesday it’s normally the Tories that are heckling me, it doesn’t bother me then, and it doesn’t bother me now.”
The Labour leader’s challenge to the critics was met with applause before he went on to discuss how his family life had taught him lessons about the value of work and care.
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After being interrupted again, he replied: “You can chant all day,” before being applauded by the audience.
The attempts to undermine Starmer’s speech were met with furious backlash on social media, especially as part of the speech involved the 59-year-old talking about his dying mother and the murder of Stephen Lawrence.
Disgusting to see @Keir_Starmer being rudely heckled by shrieking Corbynites as he speaks so movingly about his mother dying in hospital. To borrow the buzz word of the Labour conference, they're 'scum'.
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) September 29, 2021
They're also empowering Starmer, who's making the best speech of his life. pic.twitter.com/H33puvOATg
If your priority when Keir Starmer is talking about the death of his mother is to shout 'Oh Jeremy Corbyn' you know where the door is. pic.twitter.com/zWG3irjhvb
— Claire Meadows (@bookyblonde) September 29, 2021
Heckles so far have come when Keir Starmer was talking about his mother and the murder of Stephen Lawrence . Either his opponents on the left are knuckle-draggingly stupid or double agents trying to make the Labour leadership look good
— Nick Cohen (@NickCohen4) September 29, 2021
Heckling Starmer while he’s talking about his mum dying in hospital is a really, really poor look.
— Hannah Al-Othman (@HannahAlOthman) September 29, 2021
Heckling Keir Starmer while he talks about his mother dying? A new low.
— Jono (@jonoread) September 29, 2021
People are heckling while Keir Starmer talks about his mum’s death. Bleak.
— Ben Kentish (@BenKentish) September 29, 2021
Utterly pathetic deciding to heckle Keir Starmer during this speech. Choosing to do so while he's talking about his mother and the power and value of the NHS is just remarkably tin-eared.
— Thomas Messenger (@thomasmessenger) September 29, 2021
I don't entirely understand the political logic behind choosing to heckle the bit where Starmer is talking about his mother being in intensive care and how grateful he was to the nurses. I mean, who could think that will win them support? #Lab21
— Alex Andreou (@sturdyAlex) September 29, 2021
How unpleasant to see Corbyn supporters heckling Keir Starmer’s first conference speech.
— Benjamin Butterworth (@benjaminbutter) September 29, 2021
I was in the room when Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader. Most there weren’t happy about it at all, but nobody heckled him. It’s called respect.
Some commentators felt that the heckling might actually help Starmer get his messages across to the wider public,
I think the heckling of Starmer is helpful in a way. It reminds people what came before.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) September 29, 2021
The odd heckle here and there but feels like majority of of the hall on his side - he says ‘it’ll be the tories heckling me next week, doesn’t bother me’ to a big cheer
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) September 29, 2021
Keir Starmer is getting routinely heckled by Jeremy Corbyn supporters in the audience but during a speech that we’re told is all about showing the country that Labour has changed, that may help rather than hinder him.
— Ben Kentish (@BenKentish) September 29, 2021
"Where's Peter Mandelson?" Someone shouts. There was a sense at the start that this was a sustained and potentially dangerous attempt to undermine Starmer, if he couldn't ride it out. Now they just sound dreadfully lame and desperate.
— Ian Dunt (@IanDunt) September 29, 2021
The hecklers are holding up their red A4 pieces of paper again, which are meant to be Starmer out ‘red cards.’ Why not, you know, cut them into quarters, or something, so they at least look slightly like red cards? Truly, the finest minds…
— Tom Peck (@tompeck) September 29, 2021
Others felt that heckling of politicians should be allowed but only in moderation and when it was appropriate.
I'm not a heckler myself, but wouldn't you expect a politician who breaks promises to get heckled, especially if the media normalises their dishonesty?
— Owen Jones 🌹 (@OwenJones84) September 29, 2021
When Nick Clegg got heckled over tuition fees, whether you approved of it or not, did you understand it - yes or no?
Bizarrely, one of the hecklers has since been identified as Carole Vincent, a contestant from Big Brother season 8, who once stood as a council candidate for George Galloway’s Respect Party.
This is legit Carole from Big Brother season 8, who once stood for George Galloway's former party. https://t.co/Zc8KAPgOBz
— Oz Katerji (@OzKaterji) September 29, 2021
It remains to be seen if the heckling will distract from Starmer’s lengthy speech where he outlined his vision for the Labour Party which included a focus on tackling crime, improving the economy and education, fighting climate change and fixing the problems caused by the Tories with Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic.
