The Labour Party conference in Liverpool will draw to a close later today – The Mirror takes a look back at some of the weird, quirky and moving moments from the four-day gathering
The Labour Party conference in Liverpool will draw to a close later today.
After a busy four-day gathering, ministers and MPs will breathe a sigh of relief as they head back home after a conference free from any major scandal or rows.
Andy Burnham was the main headache looming over conference after a series of headlines suggested he was flirting with a leadership challenge to Keir Starmer. But Labour officials considered the threat done and dusted by the end of conference after many thought he played his hand too early and too heavily. “I will lead Labour into the next general election,” Mr Starmer has since said with confidence.
No10 was delighted by the reception of the Prime Minister’s speech – which was notably not disrupted by a protestor for the first time in years. The PM ramped up his attacks on Nigel Farage in a speech that was largely driven by Mr Starmer himself.
The Mirror takes a look back at some of the weird, quirky and moving moments from Labour conference 2025.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer blasts Nigel Farage as the ENEMY and makes ‘victims’ commentREAD MORE: Owen Jones kicked out of Labour conference over ‘safeguarding’ issue
1. Owen Jones kicked out
Journalist Owen Jones was booted out of Labour conference with the party citing concerns about safeguarding.
The Jeremy Corbyn supporter accused Labour of “Trumpian behaviour”, and said he’d never has his pass revoked before.
Writing on X, he said: “Labour has cancelled my Conference Pass. Absolutely pathetic, Trumpian behaviour. They are here suggesting that attempts to question Cabinet members and MPs about Britain facilitating Israel’s genocide is a ‘safeguarding issue’.
“This is clearly insane. I’ve been filming videos at Labour and Tory Conference for a decade now. This involves trying to get ministers to answer questions which – unfortunately! – most media outlets refuse to ask. After countless videos, this is the first time my pass has been revoked.”
2. Andy Burnham flees conference
Andy Burnham literally fled the conference when The Mirror confronted him after he claimed there is a “climate of fear” within Labour.
The Greater Manchester mayor criticised that Labour MPs had lost the whip for trying to protect disability benefits or for voting against the two-child benefit limit. And he said people were now too scared to debate the direction of Government.
And he failed to shut down questions over whether he would give up his mayoralty amid speculation he’d like to stand as an MP, with the aim of becoming Labour leader, later saying he couldn’t “predict the future” about whether he’d serve his full term as mayor.
The Mirror asked him if he wanted to be Prime Minister or Labour leader, but he dodged the questions and fled the conference site. He also refused to say whether he thought Mr Starmer was up to the job.
Daily Mirror questions Andy Burnham about Keir Starmer at Labour Conference
3. Streeting says he wants Rayner back
Wes Streeting won a standing ovation at Labour’s conference as he praised Angela Rayner, saying: “We want her back.”
In an emotional moment the Health Secretary credited the former Deputy PM for her work on a fair pay agreement for social care workers. Addressing the £500 million investment for the first ever “fair pay agreement” for care worker pay he said: “There’s someone else who’s made a real difference too, who understands the struggle care workers face, because she was one.
“She brought that experience to the Cabinet table as the care worker who became our country’s Deputy Prime Minister. Angela Rayner, this achievement is yours. Thank you. And we want her back as well.” He added: “We’ll definitely make sure she sees that. We need her back.”
4. Farage is ‘enemy’
In his speech, Keir Starmer labelled Nigel Farage the “enemy of national renewal” and sought to reclaim British flags from Reform by vowing to “never surrender them”.
In a fiery conference speech the PM also claimed Mr Farage “doesn’t like Britain” and “doesn’t believe in Britain”.
His remarks came during his closing address at Labour party conference in Liverpool, where supporters were given Welsh, English, Union Jack and Scottish flags to show they “belong to all of us”.
Describing himself as a patriot, Mr Starmer declared Britain “a tolerant, pragmatic, reasonable country” and in a clear attack on Mr Farage, vowed to reclaim the flag from those that would divide Britain.
5. Poignant Mirror party moment
The Mirror’s party at Labour conference got off to a poignant start as Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones sang a powerful rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone, as Hillsborough campaigners stood beside her on the stage.
Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James was among the victims of the 1989 tragedy, gave a powerful speech calling for a new law – which will prevent cover-ups – to be passed quickly without being watered down. The dedicated campaigner was tearful as she stood behind Ms Davies-Jones as she sang.
Elsewhere during the party, Cabinet members Wes Streeting and Lisa Nandy gave a lively rendition of Oasis’ Don’t Look Back in Anger.
The frontbenchers were joined by former shadow minister Jonathan Ashworth as they took the mic at the famous Mirror party at the Labour Party Conference. Health Secretary Mr Streeting and Culture Secretary Ms Nandy were among the politicians who hit the stage to do karaoke.
6. Trump-inspired hats
Housing Secretary Steve Reed was handing out Donald Trump-inspired “Build Baby Build” hats at conference.
Labour members could often be spotted wearing the caps around the conference centre and in the bars in the evening. The Cabinet minister joined up with Labour YIMBY(Yes In My Back Yard) group to dish out the merch.
It came as Labour pledged to begin work on three new towns in England within this Parliament to restore the “dream of home ownership” to thousands of families. Each new town will have the potential for around 10,000 homes, with a minimum of 40% for affordable housing, along with GP surgeries, schools, libraries and local transport links.
At least 12 locations have been identified, with Tempsford, in Bedfordshire, Leeds South Bank and Crews Hill, in Enfield, named as the most promising sites.
Mr Reed said: “Labour built new towns after the war to meet our promise of homes fit for heroes. Now, with the worst economic inheritance since that war, we will once again build communities to provide homes fit for families of all shapes and sizes. Build Baby Build.”
7. Starmer’s wife rents £10-a-day dress
When the PM’s wife Victoria Starmer appeared at Labour conference, she turned to a far more sustainable option when it came to her fashion choices.
Lady Victoria opted to rent her Karen Millen midi dress from fashion rental platform By Rotation, joining the ranks of plenty of other celebrities and famous faces who are making the move to rental rather than buying their looks.
Renting an outfit is a much more sustainable option for fashion lovers, especially if it’s for an event or occasion where you know you’re unlikely to wear the outfit again. That way rather than the dress going to waste or hanging in your wardrobe indefinitely, it can be returned after the event without impacting the planet.
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