British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Photo: Collected

LIVERPOOL, Sept 28, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Britain's ruling Labour party gathered 
for its annual meeting on Sunday, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer battling 
to convince nervous lawmakers that he can lead the "fight of our lives" 
against the insurgent hard-right.

Although the ex-lawyer led Labour back to power in July last year after 14 
years in opposition, scandals, policy missteps and plummeting poll ratings 
have already raised doubts about his future.

The four-day gathering in Liverpool, northwest England, comes amid chatter 
about a possible leadership challenge and follows two recent high-profile 
departures from government in the wake of embarrassing revelations.

The conference, which ends on Wednesday, takes place with Labour lagging well 
behind the upstart anti-immigrant Reform UK party, led by anti-EU firebrand 
Nigel Farage, in national surveys.

Starmer said Sunday that the party has "got the fight of our lives ahead of 
us, because we've got to take on Reform. We've got to beat them.

"The effects will be there for generations," he told the BBC.

He also called Reform's plan to make migrants reapply for new visas with 
tougher rules "racist", adding it would "tear our country apart".

- 'Phase two' -

Ahead of the conference, finance minister Rachel Reeves said she was pushing 
for a post-Brexit youth migration deal with the European Union.

She told the Times newspaper that an exchange scheme for young workers would 
be "good for the economy, good for growth and good for business."

Despite some success on the international stage for his handling of US 
President Donald Trump and helping co-ordinate European support for Ukraine, 
Starmer has endured a largely miserable first 14 months domestically as prime 
minister.

Britain's sluggish economy means a tax-raising budget is reportedly looming, 
while Starmer has U-turned on welfare reforms and scrapping energy benefits 
for millions of pensioners following anger among Labour's left-wing base.

Meanwhile, small boat crossings to England of undocumented migrants are at 
record levels, fuelling support for Reform.

Starmer attempts to reboot his government earlier in September were quickly 
overshadowed by Angela Rayner's resignation as deputy prime minister for 
underpaying property tax.

- 'Discontent' -

Starmer then sacked Peter Mandelson as Britain's ambassador in Washington 
over his friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with the row 
raising questions about his judgment.