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In his first keynote speech since moving into Downing Street, Sir Keir Starmer will warn the British public that the situation will get worse before it gets better.
In his speech on Tuesday, the Prime Minister will say the Government has also addressed a “social black hole”.
This comes after Finance Minister Rachel Reeves claimed last month that the Government had inherited a £22 billion black hole in public finances from the previous Conservative government.
“Things are worse than we ever imagined,” he warns, adding: “And that’s why we have to act and do things differently. That includes being honest with people – about the choices we face. And about how hard that will be.”
“Honestly, before it gets better, it will get worse.”
These warnings come as the government prepares its first budget, due to be presented on October 30, which will force the finance ministry to make tough decisions on spending and taxes.
Sir Keir promises to “make unpopular decisions now if it is right for the country”. He also accuses the Conservatives of not being honest about the state they have left the country in.
He will say, “They have not recognized what they have cost the country, and they have not apologized for what they have cost you.”
In his address on Tuesday, the prime minister is expected to promise to “fix the foundations of this country” and warn that “change will not happen overnight”.
He will say: “When there is rot deep in the heart of a structure, you can’t just cover it up. You can’t tinker with it or rely on quick fixes. You have to completely overhaul the whole thing. Get to the root of the problem. Even if that is harder work and takes more time.”
“Because what else happens? The rot returns. In all the same places. And it spreads. Worse than before. You know that – and I know that. That’s why this project has always been about repairing the foundations of this country.”
He will also argue that “14 years of populism and failure” under the Conservatives have made responding to this month’s riots much more difficult than in 2011, when he led the prosecution service, and claim that violent thugs are exploiting “the cracks in our society”.
Just weeks after being handed the keys to Downing Street, Sir Keir announced emergency measures to release prisoners who had already served 40 percent of their sentences, saying prisons had almost reached a total lack of capacity under the previous government.
In 2011, riots and looting caused over £200 million worth of damage and led to over 3,000 arrests.
Sir Keir will say: “When I look back at that time, I see how low we have sunk. Because responding to that riot was hard, but dealing with the riots this summer was even harder.
“Not having enough prison space is as fundamental a failure as it gets. And those people who were throwing rocks, setting cars on fire, making threats – they didn’t just know the system was broken. They were betting on it. They were gambling on it.
“They saw the cracks in our society after 14 years of populism and failure – and they exploited them. That is our legacy.”
