'Return of the sausages': Sir Keir Starmer makes embarrassing blunder in Labour conference speech

Sir Keir Starmer has delivered a blunder in his first conference speech as Prime Minister as he called for the “sausages” to be returned from Gaza.

During his speech in Liverpool, he made a plea for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, but slipped up and then called for the “return of the sausages” before correcting himself and saying “hostages”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer delivers his keynote speech during the Labour Party Conference, at the ACC Liverpool. Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire | PA

He said: “I call again for restraint and de-escalation on the border between Lebanon and Israel and for all parties to pull back from the brink.

“I call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the return of the sausages, the hostages, and a recommitment to the two-state solution, the recognition of a Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.”

Sir Keir had been referencing the Hamas attacks on 7 October, where numerous Israelis were taken hostage - some are still held hostage in Gaza almost a year later.

This comes after Lebanon said more than 550 people had been killed, including 50 children, in Israeli strikes since Monday.

Thousands are now fleeing southern Lebanon after the deadliest day in the country since 1990.

Attacks on both sides of the border between Lebanon and Israel have escalated in recent days, sparking fears of an all-out war in the Middle East.

Despite the gaff, the Prime Minister’s speech went down well with the crowd at the party conference, and was treated to numerous standing ovations, cheers and applause during his nearly hour-long speech.

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He promised his government would be a government of service and said change will mean a national renewal across the UK.

The Prime Minister also confirmed GB Energy, a publicly-owned energy company and a flagship manifesto commitment of the Labour Party, will be headquartered in Aberdeen.

He also promised to rebuild public services, and said: “If you can’t take that on faith, perhaps because you’re concerned about the winter fuel allowance, then I get that.

“As I say, if this path were popular or easy we would have walked it already.

“But the risk of showing to the world as the Tories did that this country does not fund its policies properly, that is a risk we can never take again.”