SIR Keir Starmer focused on patriotism in an effort to appeal to former Labour voters in his first conference speech since becoming leader.

Starmer made clear that Labour has changed since Jeremy Corbyn was replaced, telling voters: “We love this country as you do.”

The leader made an effort to appeal to former supporters in the north of England who backed the Tories at last year’s General Election, saying he wants Britain to be the “best country to grow up in and the best country to grow old in”.

Following his speech a new Labour advert showing the quote on a Union flag background was circulated on social media.

It comes after a new ad last week showed a Union flag backdrop with the quote: “Labour says: Get the Brexit deal done” written over the top.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer to push patriotism in effort to win back former voters

Starmer’s speech came days after a visit to Scotland, where he said a new independence referendum isn’t needed and struggled to explain why he believes the SNP would not have a mandate for a new vote if they win a majority at May’s election. The leader had previously said they would have a mandate in those circumstances.

Labour was warned following the disastrous 2019 election results that it needs to make “substantial gains” from the SNP in order to form a UK Government. If it cannot win back seats in Scotland, it would need to win Tory seats held by the likes of Jacob Rees-Mogg if it ever wants to be in power.

Labour lost 40 of its 41 MPs in Scotland in 2015, after teaming up with the Tories to fight independence as Better Together the year before. The party gained six seats at the 2017 vote, before losing them again at the 2019 snap election – leaving Ian Murray, once again, as the sole Labour MP in Scotland.

But Scotland was brought up just once in Starmer’s first conference speech as leader.

Starmer mentioned the nation as he told members of the need for Labour to be “the party of the whole United Kingdom. The party of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.”

He promoted the Union as he said standing together is necessary “to stop the Nationalists ripping our country apart by design and to stop the Tories dismantling it by neglect.”

The only other mention of Scotland was as the leader made an appeal to former voters, saying: “So to those people in Doncaster and Deeside, in Glasgow and Grimsby, in Stoke and in Stevenage, to those who have turned away from Labour, I say this: we hear you.”