During his party conference speech, Keir Starmer made an unfortunate slip-up, accidentally calling for the return of “sausages” from Gaza instead of hostages. The prime minister had just commended his “decisive government” and was discussing peace efforts in the Middle East when the mistake occurred. He was addressing the need for the return of Israeli hostages taken during Hamas’s attack on 7 October the previous year.
Starmer, who is set to attend the UN General Assembly, emphasized the message he would carry to New York, calling for restraint at the Lebanon-Israel border, a ceasefire in Gaza, and the recommitment to a two-state solution. Despite the viral nature of his slip-up, Starmer quickly recovered and continued with his speech, focusing on the future of Britain and its global standing.
The prime minister also faced heckling during his address, with an audience member questioning Labour’s stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict by shouting, “Does that include the children of Gaza?” Starmer responded with humor, referencing the heckler’s pass from the 2019 conference.
This isn’t Starmer’s first public gaffe. In July, he witnessed another notable slip when U.S. President Joe Biden accidentally introduced Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Vladimir Putin during a NATO summit.