Chancellor Reeves’ Speech Marred by Hecklers as She Unveils Breakfast Club Pilot at Labour Conference

Protesters disrupt Rachel Reeves' address at Labour gathering

During her address at the Labour conference, Rachel Reeves unveiled a trial program aimed at establishing breakfast clubs in 750 primary schools.

Political journalist @alixculbertson

Monday, September 23, 2024, 10:

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Protesters disrupted the chancellor's address at the Labour conference, seemingly demanding an end to weapon sales to Israel and urging measures for environmental protection.

During her speech at the conference in Liverpool, Rachel Reeves expressed her pride in being the UK's inaugural female chancellor, which was momentarily interrupted by yelling from the audience.

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Amid the crowd, a young man rose to his feet and could be heard yelling, "We are continuing to sell weapons to Israel, Rachel. I thought we voted for change. Climate breakdown is right at our doorstep."

Some individuals exclaimed, "Liberate Palestine."

Calls of "stop oil" echoed through the crowd as well.

A different individual ahead of the initial disruptor seemed to be attempting to unfurl a sign when someone seated before him snatched it away.

Security personnel in the corridor rushed towards the men and swiftly escorted them out amidst jeers and chants of "down, down" from the spectators.

Ms. Reeves maintained a serious expression as she asserted that Labour now stands as "a party for working individuals, rather than a party of protest."

The crowd applauded her enthusiastically, rising to their feet in ovation.

Activist organization Climate Resistance has acknowledged organizing the demonstration and has criticized security for allegedly using excessive force against one of their demonstrators.

The group issued a statement claiming that activists believe Labour's lack of action is due to contributions from polluting companies and pro-Israel lobbyists.

At the beginning of this month, the government put a hold on 30 out of 350 licenses for exporting arms to Israel

The group reported that three individuals, who are members of both their organization and the Labour Party, were detained by the police. After a 30-minute interrogation, they were removed from the location and subsequently released without charges.

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"Rejection of austerity measures"

The jeering was brief, and Ms. Reeves went on with her address, aiming for a more hopeful note compared to the previous negative outlook she and Sir Keir Starmer had shared about the UK's economic situation.

She stated: "Given the extensive harm inflicted over those 14 years, I want to make one thing clear from the start: there will be no resurgence of austerity. The austerity measures implemented by the Conservatives were harmful to our public services, as well as to investment and growth."

"Indeed, addressing the consequences of Conservative policies requires making hard choices, yet I refuse to let this curb our aspirations for Britain."

"This budget will be marked by genuine ambition—it's designed to solidify our base, fulfill our commitments, and reconstruct Britain."

The fall budget is scheduled for October 30, and it is anticipated that the chancellor will introduce several tax increases.

Explore further: Nurses turn down government's 5.5% salary increase proposal. Chancellor pledges to enhance living standards through increased investment.

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The sole unexpected element in the speech

During her speech at the conference, Ms. Reeves revealed a new initiative involving a £7 million investment to launch breakfast clubs in 750 primary schools throughout England for the upcoming summer term.

The administration plans to extend the program to offer breakfast to every state-educated child between the ages of four and 11 in England, fulfilling one of the promises in Labour's election manifesto. The pilot program will help determine the most effective method for implementing this policy.

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The chancellor stated that this represents "a commitment to our youth, a reduction in child poverty, and a boost for our economy."

"She added, 'I will consider my tenure successful if, by its conclusion, children from working class families and average backgrounds live more fulfilling lives, with broader opportunities, and the ability to succeed and prosper.'"

Approximately 12% of public schools in England currently provide a government-funded breakfast club for schools where at least 40% of the students come from low-income backgrounds, via the National School Breakfast Club Programme (NSBP). However, this financial support is scheduled to conclude in July 2025.

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