Played a role in ending it. Everyone of you who took to the streets or the doorsteps of your communities to remove the burden of tory rule from our shoulders. But even more importantly, i would like to thank everyone of you who held the social fabric of this country together through iii years where it came under relentless attack. The cleaners, the carrots, nurses, physios, shop workers, drivers, builders, cooks, farmers, retailers, warehouse workers, technicians, teachers and teaching assistants. I could go on. The Working People who got us through the pandemic, and so much more. The backbone of this country. The chance we now have, the opportunity to rebuild britain, that hope is here because of those efforts. So, Thank You all for everything you do and have done for our country. But now the job of rebuilding begins. I have to level with you. As i did on the streets in Downing Streetjust over you. As i did on the streets in Downing Street just over two months ago. This will take a while. It will be hard. But, just as we had to do the hard graft of change in our party, now we have to roll up our sleeves and change our country. Congress, the light of a fairer britain, of a congress, the light of a fairer britain, ofa more congress, the light of a fairer britain, of a more prosperous and dynamic country is at the end of the tunnel. That doesnt mean that it is easy to get there. The tories knew it would be like this. That is why they call the election early. And we saw, as im sure you all did, just how ruthlessly they were prepared to salt the earth of britain s future, serving themselves to the bitter end. And that is why we were so clear and specific about the first step in our election campaign. We did not want to go further because we knew they would be new problems, unknown problems, when we finally saw the books. And with trust in politics so low, i had to be honest with the british public when i am standing on the full light of democracy. I owed it to them to promise only what we knew we could deliver. And yet, congress, even in our worst fears, we did not think it would be this bad. The pollution in our rivers, the overcrowding in our prisons. So much of our crumbling public realm, universities, councils, the care system, or even worse than we expected. Millions of pounds wasted disgracefully on the Reminder Scheme that they knew would never work. Politics reduced to an expensive, divisive, noisy performance. A game to be played. Not the force that can fundamentally change the lives of those that we represent. And, congress, the bill for that performance is now in and im afraid if we dont take action, it is a check that will bounce. Britain left with a social Black Hole and a financial one. 22 billion this year alone. Concealed notjust from us, not just from you and Working People, but even from the office for budget responsibility, the Watchdog Thatis responsibility, the watchdog that is there precisely to protect Working People. And no one in this room want to hear such a gloomy forecast. I get that. But i dont want to be saying it either. It is not how any government would want to begin its work. Yet, given what happened with liz truss, given that unlike iii years ago, Borrowing Costs are high and the risk of inflation is real, i owe Working People the respect of economic stability. A responsibility not to be reckless with their money. That is the mandate we have one. And we will deliver this by fixing the foundations of our country, taking those first steps towards the long Term Change that we need. That is how this government will return Wealth Creation to britain, to the service of Working People because, congress, make no mistake, that is the opportunity here. This is not a project that we attempt to achieve a good few labour things and leave the broader economic settlement untouched. No. The crisis we have inherited means we must go deep into the marrow of our institutions. We need to rewrite the rules of our Economy Fix the foundation so we can build a new home, a country where growth not only comes from the enterprise of Working People, but where growth serves the interests of Working People. Living standards are rising, notjust because we are redistributing from prosperous parts of the country, but because we are growing the economy in every community. That is our mission. Who is growth for . Who does it serve . The right answer, the labour answer, the british answer, must be Working People, and that is the change that we stand for. Applause there is nothing new in this. It is the purpose of the Labour Party now and always. Throughout this government, no matter the storm, the service of Working People will be our anchor, ourstill of Working People will be our anchor, our still point, of Working People will be our anchor, ourstill point, in of Working People will be our anchor, our still point, in a turning world. The people we hold in our mind s eye as we face up to the daunting challenge of our inheritance. And secure our mission on growth. That is why we have already reformed the remit of the low Pay Commission to take account of The Cost Of Living and deliver a real living wage. It is why we have launched a new national wealth fund, to invest in the critical infrastructure our industries need and drive growth into every community. It is why we have unlocked solar and onshore wind, started bringing rail back into public ownership, committed to a proper industrial strategy, switched on great British Energy and the gun in partnership with you and business the biggest Levelling Up business the biggest Levelling Up of workers rights in a generation. Applause and let s be really clear about why we need this new deal. It is because this government is committed to driving up living standards. Improving productivity and working in partnership with workers. Congress, as part of that new deal, let me again be crystal clear. We will repeal the 2016 trade union act, get rid of Service Level legislation, the cheap and vindictive attacks on this movement, and turn the page on politics once and for all. And, congress, this is the opportunity of power. It was hard won and hard fought for. I want to thank the General Secretary for his role in that. Paul has always been a campaigner, a force of nature, and across the movement there are people without whom we could not have done this. Too many to thank here, but they know who they are. Election victories don T Fall from the sky, certainly not for the Labour Party. But, as well as your support, we also had to change. This election would not have been one if we had not changed. We have the chance now to repair our public services because we changed the Labour Party. We have the chance to make Work Pay because we changed the Labour Party. We have the chance to deliver for Working People, young people, vulnerable people, the poorest in our society, because we changed the Labour Party. So, when i say country first, party second, that is not a slogan, it is the Guiding Principle of everything this government will do. We ran as a changed Labour Party, and we will govern as a changed Labour Party. Applause and so i make no apologies for any of the decisions we have had to take to begin the work of change. And no apologies to those still stuck in the 1980s, who believe that unions and business can only stand at odds leaving Working People stuck in the middle, who cannot see that this country needs a new path on growth. People who describe policies that give Working People more security, more protection, more Power And Dignity at work, or even the fundamentals of industrial strategy, which is common across the world, as anti growth. Let me tell you what is anti growth. An economy where real wages stagnated for 15 years. That is anti growth. An economy where productivity keeps on flatlining. That is anti growth. An economy where the state of our public services prevent people going to work because they are ill. That is anti growth. And, so i won t take lectures from the tories or others who complain every time this government tries to undo the damage that they have done, clinging desperately to the failed model of the past, and nor will i take seriously the complaints of people who had their time, faced with the same difficult problems, who chose to run away from the Response Policy of fixing them. A party that allowed the politics of easy answers and destruction to become their comfort zone, rather than face the Responsibility And Reality of government. That has changed. Let me tell you, i see the nurses, the teaching assistant, the carers, who can t afford to get their boiler fixed, or buy their kids a new school uniform. I see them. I see the Public Sector demoralised, burnt out in some places, gripped by a Recruitment And Retention crisis that holds back your ability to do what we all believe in, the service of Working People. Isee all believe in, the service of Working People. I see all of that. And so i can guarantee this is not and never will be a government that will set around the table with you and tell you that black is white. But what i do have to make clear from a place of respect is that this government will not risk its mandate for economic stability under any circumstances. And with tough decisions on the horizon, pay will inevitably be shaped by that. I owe you that candour. And i will tell you why. It is because is also painfully exposed by the last government, when you lose control of the economy it is Working People who pay the price and i will never let that happen under A Labour government. And that s why i call now, as before the election, for the politics of partnership with us, in government, with business, and most importantly of all, with Working People. Now, that sounds very straightforward and attractive, but i will tell you this. It is much more difficult. Alongside collaboration, it also requires compromise. It demands that we work through our disagreements, and with those who have a different perspective. Partnership is a more difficult way of doing politics, i don t deny that. I know there is a clarity in the old ways, Business Versus worker, management versus union, Public Versus private, pick your side to the victim of spoils, nonetheless i say to everyone now, and i think many of you already know this, that kind of politics is not what the british people want. When i say to them that our policies will be pro business and pro worker, they don T Look at me as if i am deluded. No, they see that as the most ordinary, sensible thing in the world. I know there will always be disputes, of course there will. But in all seriousness, there is a mood of change in the business world, a growing understanding of the importance of good work, and the shared Self Interest that comes from treating the Work Force with respect and dignity. The Productivity Gain of fairness. And, comres, that is an opportunity to be grasped. Congress. Business leaders are not knocking on my door saying they want to rip up employee rights. They don t tell me the problems they face will be solved by coming from the Trade Unions. They want fair taxes, the Trade Unions. They want fairtaxes, high the Trade Unions. They want fair taxes, high skilled, the Trade Unions. They want fairtaxes, high skilled, and the Trade Unions. They want fair taxes, high skilled, and a long Term Ability to invest, and that chimes precisely with what Trade Unions up and down the country tell me they also want. Working people want good companies to make profits, attract investment, and create good jobs. And, congress, anyway, that is why the tory argument on Trade Unions no longerfind the same argument on Trade Unions no longer find the same audience. The british people are not interested in those tired old tropes. This is not the 1980s. The mood is for Partnership And Notjust on pay, on everything, to turn around our nhs, give our children the start in life that they deserve, make our public services fit for the future, unlock the potential of our clean energy. We have to treat this as an opportunity to come together, we are in power now and this is our chance. Common cause of national renewal. And so, as we rewrite those rules of our economy, as we drag this country back to the service of Working People, this is a chance that must be taken because rules written in the ink of partnership will be more durable and long lasting, whoever is in power. So, it is time to turn the page. Business and unions, the private and Public Sector, united by a common cause, to rebuild our public services and grow our economy in a new way. Higher growth, higherwages, higher growth, higher wages, higher productivity, growth, higherwages, higher productivity, the shared purpose of partnership, the path through the mess the tories made, and onwards to national renewal. That is the rate we are on, congress, and we won t turn away from it. Road. We will keep to the cause of change, reject the Snake Oil of change, reject the Snake Oil of the easy answer, fix the foundations of our economy and build a new britain, more secure, more prosperous, more dynamic and fairer. Wealth created in every community, a country renewed and returned calmly, but with confidence, to the service of Working People. Thank you, congress. Applause Thank You. Thank you, congress. It was great to hear from you as Prime Minister, and you can see from the reaction of congress that you have the support of the Trade Union Movement in the tasks you have set out. Compress, as i indicated earlier, the Prime Minister has agreed to take questions, and we will be taking questions in batches of three, and i invite paul to introduce our first questions. Thank you, president and Thank You to Thank You, president and Thank You to the Thank You, president and Thank You to the Prime Minister not only you to the Prime Minister not only for you to the Prime Minister not only for his address, but also agreeing only for his address, but also agreeing to take questions. We are going agreeing to take questions. We are going to take six questions from are going to take six questions from the are going to take six questions from the Conference Floor and i will take from the Conference Floor and i will take those questions in batches will take those questions in batches of three. Our first Question Batches of three. Our first question from this side of the Room Question from this side of the room comes from julia, a social Care Room comes from julia, a social Care Worker Room comes from julia, a social Care Worker from the North West and a Care Worker from the North West and a member of unison. Care worker from the northwest and a member of unison. And a member of unison. Thank ou. And a member of unison. Thank Yom Thank and a member of unison. Thank Yom Thank you. And a member of unison. Thank you. Thank you, president , you. Thank you, president , Thank You. Thank you, president , Thank You you. Thank you, president , Thank You congress. You. Thank you, president , Thank You congress. Thank| you. Thank you, president , Thank You congress. Thank you, prime Thank You congress. Thank you, Prime Minister. Thank you congress. Thank you, Prime Minister. Welcome Thank You congress. Thank you, Prime Minister. Welcome to Thank You congress. Thank you, j Prime Minister. Welcome to our town Prime Minister. Welcome to our town this Prime Minister. Welcome to our town this is Prime Minister. Welcome to our town. This is the Prime Minister. Welcome to our town. This is the first town. This is the first question town. This is the first question of town. This is the first question of the town. This is the first question of the day. I town. This is the first question of the day. There is Labour Question of the day. There is Labour Commitment Question of the day. There is Labour Commitment to question of the day. There is Labour Commitment to the l Labour Commitment to the national Labour Commitment to the national care Labour Commitment to the national Care Service Labour Commitment to the national Care Service and l Labour Commitment to the i national Care Service and their Pay Agreement national Care Service and their Pay Agreement for national Care Service and their Pay Agreement for workers. Pay agreement for workers. Social Pay Agreement for workers. Social care Pay Agreement for workers. Social care has Pay Agreement for workers. Social care has suffered Social Care has suffered terrihly Social Care has suffered terribly for Social Care has suffered terribly for the Social Care has suffered terribly for the past Social Care has suffered terribly for the past 14 i Social Care has suffered terribly for the past 14 years under terribly for the past 14 years under the terribly for the past 14 years under the tories. Terribly for the past 14 years under the tories. Tackling. Terribly for the past 14 years under the tories. Tackling itj under the tories. Tackling it must under the tories. Tackling it must begin under the tories. Tackling it must begin with under the tories. Tackling it must begin with the under the tories. Tackling it. Must begin with the workforce. We know must begin with the workforce. We know very