Keir Starmer sets out six key pledges for next Labour Government, including recruiting 6,500 teachers

He outlined six pledges, which he said were ‘fully costed’ and said the public could expect to see them delivered within two terms of a Labour government.

They include 'economic stability', cutting NHS waiting lists so that 40,000 operations could take place a week by cutting down on tax avoiders and 'non-doms', and setting up a Border Security Command to stop the illegal criminal gangs responsible for bringing people across the Channel in small boats.

Speaking to an audience in Essex, the Labour leader was asked during questions about his views on child poverty and the two-child benefit limit. Former prime minister Gordon Brown has called for an end to the policy.

Responding, Sir Keir said that ‘ending child poverty would be central’ but also said that he didn’t want to make promises he couldn’t deliver.

Responding to his speech, chief executive of Child Poverty Action Group Alison Garnham said, ‘It’s good to hear that ending child poverty is central for Labour, but the best way to achieve that is by ending the two-child limit on benefits which is driving so many children into hardship. A child poverty reduction plan is essential, but scrapping the two-child limit would have to be step one.’

Labour’s six key pledges also include recruiting 6,500 teachers, tackling anti-social behaviour, and setting up Great British Energy.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said, ‘An incoming Government will inherit an urgent and escalating teacher recruitment and retention crisis. This matters for every child and family. 

‘Over the past 14 years a combination of national decisions has resulted in insufficient graduates choosing teaching as a profession and teachers leaving in droves. 

‘6,500 additional teachers would be a welcome commitment, are desperately needed and would contribute to better life chances. This would need to be hand in hand with restoring the value of teachers’ pay and attractive pay levels across the stages in a teaching career and a different approach on education policy.’ 

School leaders’ union NAHT, also welcomed the pledge.

General secretary Paul Whiteman said, ‘It’s encouraging that Labour has recognised the long-running recruitment crisis. To recruit an extra 6,500 teachers, any future government will need to make teaching a competitive career in the graduate marketplace again, by undoing over a decade of real terms pay cuts, reducing workload, and resetting the brutal Ofsted inspection regime, removing single word judgments.

‘We also must not forget that recruitment is only half the picture. The next government will also need to focus on retaining the teachers and leaders we already have as currently too many are choosing to leave the profession.’