Labour leader Keir Starmer has given people hope for the future after 14 years of Tory mismanagement, scandal and outright contempt for ordinary people.

Northumberland Labour leader Scott Dickinson said: “Listening to Keir Starmer setting out his intentions to get Britain’s future back I am hopeful that we have the prospect of real change if we have a new government.”

The leader’s speech included the intention to:

• provide more dental appointments focussed in areas of most need
• support the NHS to provide more operations and cut waiting lists
• build 1.5 million new homes during the course of the next parliament
• tackle crime and anti-social behaviour, including a new law to protect retail workers
• ban zero hours contracts, establish GB Energy, put more neighbourhood police on the streets and introduce fair pay agreements for the social care sector

“All of these things are practical ways to make sure the government is working for everyone, not just the privileged few.

“Sadly, we see this against the backdrop of our current government starving local authorities of the funds they need to provide essential services to local people. We know local authority funding has been slashed by 20 per cent in real terms.

“Northumberland Labour welcomes Keir Starmer’s intentions and will continue to fight for an appropriate level of funding to meet the needs of those who need it in our county.”