Cronyism row engulfing Labour is threatening to derail PM's first speech

SIR Keir Starmer is set to give the first major speech of his premiership today amid a growing Labour cronyism row.

- Katie Harris

The Prime Minister is expected to use the address to blame controversial decisions such as stripping winter fuel payments from millions of pensioners on the inheritance left by the Tories.

Amid mounting fears of tax rises in October's Budget, he will ramp up Chancellor Rachel Reeves's claim that the previous government left a £22billion black hole in public finances.

Sir Keir will compare his government's task to that of communities that rallied round to clean up the streets in the wake of recent riots.

In a speech in the Downing Street rose garden, he will say: "Next week parliament will return. The business of politics will resume, but it will not be business as usual.

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"Because we can't go on like this any more. No more politics of performance, papering over the cracks or division and distraction. Things are being done differently now.