British PM Starmer outlines immigration, education, Reform UK policies at party conference

London, Oct 1 (IANS) British Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivered a keynote speech at the Labour Party's annual conference in Liverpool, setting out the party's policies on illegal immigration, education, healthcare, and its stance against Reform UK.

Starmer, who also serves as Labour Party leader, said the country's asylum system "cannot be ignored," pledging to strengthen border security by stopping small boat crossings in the English Channel, cracking down on illegal working, and removing "people with no right to be here."

On education, he announced the government would scrap the target of sending 50 per cent of young people in England to university, replacing it with a goal of directing two-thirds into either universities or "gold standard apprenticeships." He pledged investment in new technical excellence colleges and expanded skills training, Xinhua news agency reported.

The prime minister also introduced a new digital healthcare service, "NHS Online," which will be available in England by 2027 and is expected to help cut patient waiting lists.

Turning to politics, Starmer identified Nigel Farage's Reform UK as Labour's chief opponent, questioning the party's patriotism and urging Labour members to "come together to fight Reform."

Labour has recently trailed Reform UK in opinion polls. A new seat-by-seat survey by YouGov shows that "an election held tomorrow" would see Reform UK winning 311 of the 650 seats in the House of Commons, while Labour winning only 144.

--IANS

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