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He pledged to make “tough” decisions – code for public spending restraint and tax increases – to achieve economic growth to fund schools, hospitals, roads, railways and more. Starmer acknowledged some of those decisions would be unpopular, but added that “we will turn our collar up and face the storm”.

“If the last few years have shown us anything, it’s that if you bury your head because things are difficult, your country goes backwards,” he said.

The conference was dampened by a tempest over Starmer’s acceptance of freebies at a time when millions of people struggle with the cost of living. Starmer insisted he followed the rules when he took thousands of pounds worth of clothes and designer eyeglasses from a wealthy Labour donor, but the story generated days of negative headlines.

Cabinet minister Pat McFadden, who ran Labour’s election campaign, said the government would not be derailed by criticism.

“I’m not going to pretend to anyone in this room that I’ve enjoyed some of the headlines and stories over the last week,” he told a meeting at the conference. “But nor am I going to allow them to define the government.”

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The hour-long speech fleshed out how Starmer viewed his personal brand of measured, moderate politics. It provided strikingly personal detail about a politician often called dull and managerial, as Starmer recalled his childhood love of the flute and the landscape of England’s Lake District.

The speech was peppered with words like “joy”, “wonder” and “calm”, as he argued that economic stability and growth would let people “focus on the little things they love in life, not the anxiety and security we have now”.

He also rejected populism and divisiveness, which he said marked many politicians on the right, condemning the “racist thugs” involved in anti-immigrant violence during the summer and arguing that Britain is a nation of tolerance and fairness.