Sir Keir Starmer will use his first major speech of the election campaign to tell voters: “I will fight for you.”

The Labour leader will say he recognises many people have not yet decided how they will vote on 4 July despite being “fed up with the failure, chaos and division of the Tories”.

He will admit many “still have questions about us” and will be asking whether Labour has “changed enough” and if they can be trusted with the economy, immigration and security.

“My answer is yes you can – because I have changed this party. Permanently,” he will say.

“This has been my driving mission since day one. I was determined to change Labour so that it could serve the British people.”

General Election 2024: Sunak ‘to double down on national service plan’ as Tories and Labour focus on security

Sunak’s Number 10 is much better at keeping secrets than others

Rishi Sunak wants to attack Sir Keir Starmer on security – but defence is seldom a factor which determines UK elections

Sir Keir will accuse Rishi Sunak of governing to appease sections of the Tory party, not for the whole country.

Follow live general election updates

He will put security at the heart of his speech as the prime minister seeks to get one up on Labour after announcing a new national service programme for 18-year-olds.

Sir Keir will say Labour has changed under him and is ready to meet the “core tests” the British people set for government – economic security, border security and national security.

“Make no mistake, if the British people give us the opportunity to serve, then this is their core test. It is always their core test,” he is set to say.

“I haven’t worked for four years on this, just to stop now. This is the foundation, the bedrock that our manifesto and our first steps will be built upon.”

Ahead of his speech, in southeast England, Sir Keir released a video featuring his childhood home and pictures of his parents, revealing his family were hard up at times and had their telephone cut off.

Appealing to people struggling through the cost of living crisis, he says he knows what they are going through and knows what it is like to struggle to make ends meet.

“I grew up working class, I’ve been fighting all my life and I won’t stop now,” he says in the video.

During his speech today, he will also emphasise how he has fought to change the Labour Party since becoming leader.

He will say: “There are always people who say, don’t do that, don’t go so fast.

“But whenever I face a fork in the road, it always comes back to this: the golden thread: country first, party second.”

He will also say the policies his party are putting forward are “a new path for our country, a plan that will turn the page, deliver stability and change”.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

Echoing his shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, he will also say all their policies are “deliverable, fully-funded and ready to go”.

“A clear direction, not the endless spinning around that successive Conservative governments have subjected our country to,” he will conclude.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Reacting to the speech, Richard Holden, the Conservative Party chairman, said Sir Keir “doesn’t say anything” in it.

“Sir Keir Starmer has been Labour leader for four years but has failed to set out a clear plan to secure Britain’s future,” he said.

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

“All he has managed to achieve is to break the 10 promises he made when he ran for the leadership and create a £38.5bn black hole in his spending promises, meaning Labour would have to put up taxes by £2,094 on every hardworking family.

“The choice is clear: stick with the plan that is working and take bold action for a safer, more secure future with Rishi Sunak. Or, go back to square one with Sir Keir Starmer and the same old Labour Party.”

Related posts:

Revealed: How ministers are planning to seize control of policy from Public Health England Northern Ireland halts construction of post-Brexit inspection facilities Less optimistic PM hints he will delay 21 June unlocking due to ‘serious, serious concern’ PM shamed into disciplining close ally accused of groping Pincher and Johnson are united but powerless in wanting to avoid another by-election NHS leaders making contingency plans as biggest walkout in its history looms Brexit deal ‘very much game on’ after Sunak holds talks with Northern Ireland parties Parliament has ‘so much asbestos’ and at risk of being ‘destroyed by catastrophic incident’ Banks to face fines if they breach three-mile cash access rule Tories on course to go out with a whimper rather than a bang despite turmoil WhatsApp tips to social media monitoring: The online security advice given to MPs Labour’s future success is less clear-cut after the local elections