Greg Hands shares that Labour letter again as Keir Starmer talks 'fiscal responsibility' at party conference | indy100

Keir Starmer: ‘It’s time to get Britain building again’

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Never has there been a finer case of a Tory politician wearing a joke thin than Greg Hands and the infamous letter from former Treasury minister Liam Byrne about there being “no money” – a letter he’s shared once again as Sir Keir Starmer addressed delegates at Labour Party Conference on Tuesday.

The letter from Mr Byrne – which has been shared by Mr Hands so many times that there’s even a dedicated Twitter account for every time he posts about it – was penned in 2010 to his Conservative successor David Laws as the Tories entered government.

“Kind regards – and good luck,” the message concludes.

Despite Mr Byrne writing for The Observer in 2015 that “every day I have burnt with the shame” of the letter, cabinet minister Mr Hands still likes to remind Labour of the letter whenever the party talks about the economy and finances.

That’s despite last year’s budgetary chaos at the hands of Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, Liz Truss.

As Sir Keir delivered his speech in Liverpool, Mr Hands tweeted the letter out once more and added: “Sir Keir talks about Labour’s record in government. This is the bit we all remember.”

Sir Keir talks about Labour\u2019s record in Government. \n\nThis is the bit we all remember.
— Greg Hands (@Greg Hands) 1696943563

Needless to say users on X (formerly Twitter) have grown tired of Mr Hands cracking the same old joke:

@GregHands @Conservatives @CCHQPress Deficit in 2009/2010 - 62.4% of GDP\nDeficit in Dec 2022 - 101% of GDP\n\nThis is the bit we all remember.
— Critical Cupcake \ud83c\udf08 \u267f \u269b\ufe0f (@Critical Cupcake \ud83c\udf08 \u267f \u269b\ufe0f) 1696944601

@GregHands @Conservatives @CCHQPress Just you Greg. And maybe your nan. The rest of us were noted the first time you did it. Christ knows who still gets a laugh out of it the 300,000th time.
— Ben (@Ben) 1696944118

@GregHands @Conservatives @CCHQPress That\u2019s the in-joke that\u2019s been going on for decades Greg
— Robbie Scowls (@Robbie Scowls) 1696943942

@GregHands @Conservatives @CCHQPress
— Maria Pullen (@Maria Pullen) 1696944864

I really think that @GregHands is unwell. His obsession with a 13 year-old note, which he knows perfectly well was the continuation of a long-running joke, is bizarre in the extreme.\n\nGet help, Mr Hands. Seriously...
— Adrian Littlejohn \ud83d\udc99 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6 (@Adrian Littlejohn \ud83d\udc99 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\udde6) 1696945317

In Sir Keir’s speech – which was interrupted by a protester who covered him in glitter before being carried away by security – the Labour leader spoke of “a decade of national renewal” with “a plan for Britain built to last”.

“We say yes to sound money, yes to cutting waste and debt, embrace the need for stability – fiscal responsibility is non-negotiable.

“And if investment can kickstart growth, if investment can save money in the long-run, can protect jobs, create jobs, crowd in billions of private investment, then yes – we must get on and do it,” he said.

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