PM to deliver message of qualified optimism but expected announcement on benefit fraud concerns left of party

Good morning. Keir Starmer is giving his speech to the Labour confernece this afternoon and, as the Guardian reports, his overall message will be one of qualified, long-term optimism. Another leader might have dressed this message up in poetic rhetoric, but Starmer will be using a straightforward cliche, telling the audience “there’s light at the end of the tunnel”. He will say:

The truth is that if we take tough long-term decisions now, if we stick to the driving purpose behind everything we do: higher economic growth - so living standards rise in every community; our NHS facing the future - waiting lists at your hospital down; safer streets in your community; stronger borders; more opportunities for your children; clean British energy powering your home; making our country more secure ... then that light at the end of this tunnel, that Britain that belongs to you, we get there much more quickly.

The legislation will allow fraud investigators to compel banks to hand over information about people’s finances if there is a suspicion they are claiming benefits they are not entitled to.

It will also give them powers of “search and seizure” of people’s property in cases involving organised criminal gangs that are exploiting the benefits system.