PM vows to house veterans, abuse victims and young care leavers

Veterans, domestic abuse victims and young care leavers will have a 'guaranteed roof over their head', Sir Keir Starmer promised yesterday.

The Prime Minister pledged to change the rules on social housing so that all three groups no longer have to prove a local connection to be housed.

But Labour was unable to say when the changes would be brought into force – only that doing so would be a 'priority'.

While campaigners welcomed the news, housing charity Shelter said it did not address 'the fact' that there 'is not enough social housing available'.

Current rules mean that veterans are only exempt from having to prove a local link for five years after service.

Speaking on day three of the Labour Party conference, the PM called the levels of homelessness among veterans an 'injustice hiding in plain sight'.

He added yesterday: 'In every town and city in this country. People who were prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice for our nation, who put their lives on the line to protect us all, but who will not have a safe place to sleep tonight.'

Keir Starmer's speech: key points 

In his speech to the Labour faithful in Liverpool yesterday, Sir Keir said: 

• Vowed to 'return the UK to the service of working people'
• Blasted 'violent racist thugs' behind summer riots 
• Promised 'every pensioner will be better off with Labour' amid row over winter fuel payment cut
• Pledged veterans, care leavers and domestic violence victims would get housing priority
• Vowed to bring in 'Hillsborough Law' to prevent state cover-ups before 35th anniversary of 1989 disaster next April
• Received thunderous applause as he pledged to put trains 'back into public ownership' 
• Was cheered as he highlighted new worker rights saying 'change has begun' 
• Urged Israel and Hezbollah to 'pull back from the brink' of war in the Middle East 
• Called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza 
• Pledges 'homes will be there' for Armed Forces 'heroes'
• Revealed GB Energy will be based in Aberdeen 
• Blasted 'populist' Tories over Rwanda migrant plan 

Sir Keir's keynote speech in Liverpool cast a downbeat tone, as he hinted at potential future tax rises in a difficult year to come.

The PM acknowledged fury at the decision to strip the benefit from 10million pensioners - but said he could not 'risk' showing the world 'as the Tories did that this country does not fund its policies properly'.

Watched by wife Victoria, he appealed for Brits to be 'patient' and stick with his 'painful choices' rather than go down the 'road to nowhere'.

But he warned there were no 'easy answers', he would not get 'everything right', and the task would be 'hard' - blaming the Tories for problems ranging from the stretched finances to full jails, and pleading with restive Labour supporters to take 'pride' in what they were achieving.

He said 'choices' would include accepting more building of pylons and prisons, and recognising that some Channel migrants would be granted asylum - although he stressed he wanted to tackle the smuggling gangs and bring down legal immigration over time.

'This is a long-term project, I've never pretended otherwise. But conference make no mistake, the work of change has begun,' he said. 'We're only just getting started.'

Ahead of a showdown vote on winter fuel with unions today, Sir Keir told the hall that there would be 'no return to Tory austerity' and he would 'protect working people'.

'If you can't take that on faith, perhaps because you're concerned about the winter fuel allowance, then I get that,' he said. 'But the risk of showing to the world - as the Tories did, that this country does not fund its policies properly... that is a risk we can never take again.'

He argued that 'every pensioner will be better off with Labour' after the triple lock increase to the state pension.