Our country has grit of the Lionesses, swagger of Oasis and strength of the Red Roses... I'll fight for it with every breath

KEIR Starmer yesterday drew clear battle lines between Labour and Reform UK in a conference speech that hailed Britain as a “beautiful, tolerant, diverse country”.

- BY LIZZY BUCHAN Political Editor

He said real Brits were the ones who helped clean racist graffiti off a Chinese takeaway, not the vandals who daubed it, saying: “That's not pride, that's racism.”

And he warned Reform and its leader Nigel Farage had crossed a moral line with threats to deport people who came to Britain legally.

Mr Starmer said: “Is this country [with] the grit of the Lionesses, the swagger of Oasis, the strength of the Red Roses, the beauty that stretches all the way from the South Downs to the Shetland Isles, is it really broken? Or can we renew it?”

He added: “I will fight with every breath I have... for the tolerant, decent, respectful Britain that I know.”

The Prime Minister also took aim at Mr Farage himself, saying: “When was the last time you heard Nigel Farage say anything positive about Britain's future?

“He can't. He doesn't like Britain, doesn't believe in Britain, wants you to doubt it as much as he does, and so he resorts to grievance.”

Thin-skinned Mr Farage accused the PM of inciting violence against Reform with his criticism. But the PM rubbished his claims - and said he would not back down.