Inside what Scottish Labour MPs really thought of Sir Keir Starmer's conference speech

Scottish Labour figures have responded with almost universal positivity following Sir Keir Starmer’s conference speech.

The Prime Minister set out his vision for Britain on Tuesday, in an address light on policy, but one that promised to “rebuild Britain” while also offering warnings over Labour’s economic inheritance.

Speaking to Scottish Labour sources in Liverpool after the address, there was broad happiness with the message, even if some privately expressed hope for more details on how to deliver on the rhetoric.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer waves as he stands with his wife Victoria

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar told The Scotsman’s The Steamie podcast that Sir Keir’s language was “refreshing” and left him genuinely moved.

He said: “I found it quite emotional at times actually, partly because it's the first time we've had a speech of a Labour Prime Minister in so long. Secondly there was actually lots of personal story in it as well. When's the last time you heard a Prime Minister talking about giving social care workers equal status in our communities?

“When's the last time you heard a Prime Minister talking about a migration system that has to respect migrants and not go down the route of far-right racist, thugs and riots, or a Prime Minister really directly say that, if you accept we need more houses in our country, to fix the housing crisis, then you've got to accept more houses in your community, and your communities going to play its part?

“The Prime Minister said if you want those lower bills in the long term and the clean energy transition, then you have to accept that it's going to require infrastructure to go through your communities.

“When's the last time you heard a Prime Minister say I'm not going to go for the easy short-term fixes, I'm going to do it for the long term, to make sure we have a positive future for you and your family? When's the last time we heard a Prime Minister talking about not just kids that go to university being the success stories, but actually the kids that don't go to university being equally successful, having an equal stake in our country?

“That is so refreshing and is a different politics from what we've had in the last 14 years. I think that's how you build a more positive, more optimistic future for our country.”

Sir Keir’s speech was delivered to a packed conference hall, where supporters queued for up to an hour to get in. The Prime Minister was interrupted frequently by standing ovations.

The only real blips came when the Labour leader said “sausages” instead of “hostages”, and being interrupted by heckler who disrupted the speech to shout about Gaza. On policy, the only announcement was on the GB Energy headquarters being based in Aberdeen.

However, just 100 MPs were allowed in to hear the keynote speech. Some new members even asked The Scotsman’s Westminster correspondent if there was a special queue for MPs, because nobody had told them how it worked.

Other Scottish Labour figures were equally enthused, with Dunfermline and Dollar MP Graeme Downie praising Sir Keir’s vision.

He said: "The Prime Minister laid out a positive vision and ambition for the future of both Scotland and the UK, making clear this Labour government will put in place long-term solutions for problems that have been ignored or deferred for far too long. 

“That will mean a pay rise for working people under a new living wage, economic stability so the most vulnerable in our society don't ever again pay the price for reckless policies, and GB Energy headquartered in Scotland helping to bring down energy bills. 

“The Prime Minister's speech described what this Labour government is going to deliver and how we are going to build a fairer and more prosperous country."

There was also delight among Scottish MSPs, with one claiming it was “the best speech he’s ever done”.

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar was impressed with the speech | Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images.

They said: “I thought it was genuinely the best speech he’s [Sir Keir] ever done. It was uplifting, inspirational and showed so clearly what his vision for Britain is.

“He's got a brilliant story and I think he conveyed how his values are Labour values, and really connected with the crowd”.

Another Scottish Labour source told The Scotsman they thought “it went down brilliantly” in the room, but they could not be sure on how they felt about it until they returned home.

They said: “I thought the rhetoric was really good, but in my experience of politics, you don’t really know until you get back to the constituency. I’m hoping we learn more from the Budget. They have been hamstrung by the timing.”

Other figures praised Sir Keir’s warmth and positivity during the speech, referencing jokes about trips to the Lake District. But they also praised the Prime Minister’s honesty about the tough decisions ahead, particularly that Sir Keir was not letting “the noise” get to him, while others made comparisons to the best of both former prime ministers Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

However, one Labour MSP was less convinced. They told The Scotsman they were "broadly reassured", but expressed concerns there remained a lack of detail.

They said: "It was much better than I expected, especially his language around the riots, so I'd say I'm cautiously optimistic. He's been hamstrung by the budget coming in October, so therefore can't really announce anything.

“I'm glad to hear progressive rhetoric, but the devil is always in the detail. I thought it was better than I expected, but it still leaves a lot of work ahead for 2026.”