Starmer looks to move on from internal Labour row with focus on economy and foreign policy

Sir Keir Starmer will look to move on from a row over his reforms of the Labour rulebook during the third day of the party’s conference in Brighton.

After a bruising battle over his shake-up of the rules for party leadership contests – which saw the Labour leader forced to water down his initial proposals amid opposition from trade unions and some party members – Sir Keir will hope to shift the focus onto his party’s economic and foreign policies.

Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves will use her speech to the Brighton gathering on Monday to announce Labour’s pledge to scrap business rates should they win power.

And shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy will set out the party’s plans for a new “Illicit Finance Taskforce” tasked with making the UK “the most inhospitable place in the world for dirty money and ill-gotten gains”.

Ms Nandy will propose a clampdown on imported goods produced through forced Labour, including a ban on cotton from China’s Xinjiang province.

She will also call for the UK to “re-build bridges” with its closest allies, starting with European partners.

Meanwhile, shadow communities secretary Steve Reed will outline Labour’s intention to oversee the “most radical programme of devolution” the UK has ever seen, should the party win power.

Although Sir Keir was forced to slim down his package of reforms to Labour’s rulebook prior to their approval in a conference vote on Sunday, he will be buoyed that he managed to get some changes through.

He hailed the reforms as a “major step forward” in Labour’s efforts to win the next general election, although Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham criticised Sir Keir’s focus on “the minutiae of rule changes” rather than offering a “big alternative” to British voters.

Sir Keir’s success in pushing through some of his proposed reforms came as he enjoyed some time away from the Brighton event on Sunday to watch his football side, Arsenal, deliver a comprehensive 3-1 defeat of fierce rivals Tottenham.

Yet, with one internal party battle put behind him, the Labour leader could come under pressure from members on another issue on Monday.

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Delegates are set to debate a motion committing Labour to ditching their support for the first past the post system traditionally used at Westminster elections, in favour of proportional representation.

But while the internal Labour battles over party rules and policy continue in Brighton, London mayor Sadiq Khan will use his conference speech on Monday to make a call for unity.

“Labour is already making a huge difference to people’s lives in London and across the country,” he will say.

“But if we want to build the fairer, more equal, greener future Britain deserves, we know that winning the next general election is the real prize.

“And to get there we must unite. We must stick together. We must focus all our energy on taking the fight to the Tories and work towards a Labour government – with Keir Starmer in Downing Street.

“Because Labour, in power, delivers real change.”