Starmer says economic stagnation could cause descent into political extremism

Labour leader seeks to persuade voters his party can revive UK’s fortunes while keeping public spending low

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Declining incomes and economic stagnation could cause the UK to descend into political extremism, Keir Starmer has said, as he sought to persuade voters Labour could break this cycle without significant amounts of new public spending.

Saying that the UK was “in a hole” in areas such as incomes, equality and productivity, Starmer used a speech in London to argue that, with public finances so tight, promoting higher growth was the only way to improve the situation.