Sir Keir Starmer makes key ’national renewal’ speech at UCL

Labour Leader and Shadow Chancellor visit UCL - left to right: Rachel Reeves, Shadow Chancellor, Sir Keir Starmer, Labour Leader, Dr Michael Spence, UCL Preseident & Provost, and Claudia Tomo. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer chose UCL to deliver his first major speech of 2023, as he set out how he hoped to build the UK economy and said our "universities, young people and researchers" provide him with optimism for the future. Sir Keir and Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves were greeted by UCL President & Provost, Dr Michael Spence, Professor Paola Lettieri, Pro-Provost UCL East, and Kirsty Walker, Vice-President External Engagement, at our cutting-edge research, engineering and robotics facility, based at UCL Here East, on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford, East London. In his speech, Sir Keir emphasised the importance of higher education, research and technology. "It's our universities, our young people, the researchers in this room and those like it," he said. "Our manufacturing genius, our superpower services, our start-ups and innovators. "The green entrepreneurs, the builders and retrofitters, insulators and engineers, who will bring us energy independence and cheaper bills.