Britain’s Labour Party gathers after a rocky start in government and a scandal over clothes

Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — This should be a time of celebration for Britain’s Labour Party. It’s opening its annual conference Sunday less than three months after winning power in a landslide after 14 years in opposition. But it’s no victory lap for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. His government is facing a reckoning with a battered economy and an electorate impatient for change. The mood among Labour members gathering in Liverpool has been further dampened by a tempest over Starmer’s acceptance of freebies at a time when millions of people are struggling with the cost of living. Labour leaders will try to convey a more positive message when Treasury chief Rachel Reeves makes a televised conference speech on Monday. Starmer will follow on Tuesday.