The Labour leader said "most reasonable, tolerant people" in the country wanted what his party wanted for Britain, before he received an extraordinary endorsement from Boots' chief executive, Sebastian James, an Old Etonian who was a member of the Bullingdon Club alongside David Cameron.
James, who is pictured in the infamous Bullingdon Club photograph alongside Cameron and Boris Johnson, appeared in a video message endorsing Rachel Reeves' plans for economic stability.
The Labour leader told the launch event in Essex, attended by the entire shadow cabinet:
"There is no quick fix to the mess that the Tories have made of this country."
But he said the public could expect to see his six pledges materialise within two terms of a Labour government, noting: "We won't be forgiven if we're not prepared on day one, if we are privileged enough to come in to serve."
The Labour leader rejected suggestions the pledges were unambitious, saying that restoring stability must be the party's first step before it embarks on any more ambitious plans. "This is a very different moment to 1997, after the damage that's been done in the last 14 years," he said.
Starmer said he had recently spoken to a couple in Wolverhampton who had decided they could not afford to have a second child.
"I'm not prepared to let an incoming Labour government ever do that kind of damage to working people," he told the audience. "That's why I can hardly believe I'm saying this: stability is change, and that's why it has to be our first step."
Esta historia es de la edición May 17, 2024 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 17, 2024 de The Guardian.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 8500 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
Defeat to West Indies leaves Black Caps facing early exit
New Zealand are on the brink of elimination at the group stage of the T20 World Cup after falling 13 runs short of West Indies' target at the Brian Lara Academy in Trinidad.
Bold Cantlay comes out fighting at Pinehurst
Californian discovers form to match lowest round shot in a US Open at tricky course
Geordie Shore star pleads not guilty over CFD trading scheme
A Celebrity Big Brother winner has pleaded not guilty in a case brought against a group of social media influencers accused of promoting an unauthorised foreign exchange trading scheme on Instagram.
People sheltering in Rafah tell of worst bombardment so far
Israeli tanks rolled into the western part of Rafah yesterday as the city came under intense helicopter, drone and artillery fire in what residents described as one of the worst bombardments of the city so far.
Democracies deliver says Biden after G7 agrees to use billions in Russian assets to aide Ukraine
Joe Biden claimed \"democracies can deliver\" as he announced the leaders of the G7 western economies had finally reached an agreement that will mobilise an extra $50bn of aid to Ukraine using frozen Russian state assets.
Childminder who shook baby to death is imprisoned for 12 years
A Lancashire childminder who killed a nine-month-old baby by shaking him to death has been sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison for manslaughter.
Green v clean: study suggests disgust overrides ideals when doing laundry
How often do you have to wash your clothes? New research shows feelings of disgust and shame encourage excessive clothes washing even among those who care about their carbon footprint.
'Scandalous' Seven years after Grenfell disaster, families continue to fight for justice
When Shah Aghlani helped his mother, Sakina Afrasehabi, move into flat 151 of Grenfell Tower in 2016, he was full of concern.
Stalked woman fears for life after bid for stronger restraining order fails
A woman who was stalked and held hostage at gunpoint by her ex-partner has warned that she and her family are in danger after a judge refused to strengthen a restraining order against her abuser, despite hearing evidence that her life was under threat.
Naomi Klein wins inaugural Women's prize for nonfiction with Doppelganger
Doppelganger by the Guardian US columnist Naomi Klein has become the inaugural winner of the Women's prize for nonfiction, while Brotherless Night by VV Ganeshananthan has won the fiction prize.