Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was a "pleasure to be in Brighton" as he addressed delegates at a union conference.

At a GMB conference at the Brighton Centre, Sir Keir pledged to strengthen trade unions, abolish zero-hours contracts and ban fire and rehire practices if elected.

He also said that a “new deal for working people” would be passed and implemented within the first 100 days of a new Labour government and committed to repealing the government’s controversial strike bill, which would mandate minimum service levels for critical industries even on days of industrial action.

Sir Keir said: “The tide is turning and the rest of the world is moving on from the outdated ideas our opponents provide.

“The economic argument that has held back working people is now on the back foot.

“Put simply, people aren’t going to take it any more.”

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He also committed to making Britain a “clean energy superpower” and that a Labour government would serve the interests of working people and their future.

“Decent pay, respect, dignity and fairness, cleaner, safer work, new and better infrastructure for Britain - these are the purposes of our party and they are historic prizes that we will win again,” he said.

Sir Keir, who was greeted with a standing ovation and applause, said: “It is a pleasure to be in Brighton in the sunshine, especially when the sun is beginning to shine on Labour’s arguments.”

His speech came one month after Labour secured majority control of Brighton and Hove City Council for the first time in 20 years.

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While taking questions from delegates, Sir Keir also responded to criticism from the union over Labour’s policy to ban new oil and gas extraction licenses in the North Sea.

He said: “I want to be absolutely clear: oil and gas are going to be part of the mix for decades to come, into the 2050s.

“What I will never let happen is a repeat of what happened in coal mining, where an industry came to an end and nobody had planned for the future.”

He said the UK must “seize the next generation of jobs in nuclear and in renewables across the country” or risk “repeating the mistake that was made when the coal mines were closed down”.