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Welsh Labour Conference 2022: Keir Starmer speech; *Part 2 of 6* WALES: Llandudno: INT Sir Keir Starmer (Labour Leader) speech SOT. - Conference, how great it is to be here with you in person, addressing you as Leader of the Labour Party for the first time. It is also the first time that the Welsh Labour team has had the chance to come together to celebrate the success of last year’s Senedd elections – and what a success it was. With an election result that matched the best Welsh Labour has ever seen. So let me start this morning by saying, congratulations and well done. These election successes don’t happen by chance. They require teamwork…vision….perseverance…and leadership. So let’s hear it for First Minister Mark Drakeford and his Welsh Labour team. [standing ovation for Mark Drakeford and his team] People trusted you to bring them through the storm of the pandemic and and you did. And Conference, I had the privilege of campaigning with Mark last year; and I saw first hand how people appreciated his leadership. The people of Wales voted overwhelmingly to ‘Keep Wales Moving Forward’. They saw the value in the work this Welsh Labour government was doing – and how you were doing it. Working together in our common endeavour to build a stronger, fairer, greener Wales, in a modern United Kingdom. Mark and the whole Welsh Labour team, I’m grateful to you for your honesty, wisdom and friendship. There are some changes in Welsh Labour, of course. I want to thank the staff team who played a central role in delivering those results: Former General Secretaries, Louise Magee who’s with us today and David Costa, who’s in Costa Rica! And former Head of Communications Luke Young who is also here today. Louise and Luke – this is even better than Costa Rica! They leave Welsh Labour in good stead, ready with a new team to go forward to the next chapter. And, in that spirit, I’d like to welcome to post: Jo McIntyre, Joe Lock and Victoria Solomon. Thank you for all you are ...