SIR Keir Starmer’s speech to the Labour Party conference was interrupted by hecklers a number of times this afternoon.

The Labour leader faced shouting from Jeremy Corbyn supporters and those who disagreed with his push for a second vote on Brexit prior to the 2019 General Election.

At one point in his speech Starmer thanked party activists for stopping Labour from being “obliterated” in 2019. Someone in the audience shouted “it was your Brexit policy” that led to such a poor result in the first place.

READ MORE: Keir Starmer making Labour in England as irrelevant as in Scotland

Another delegate shouted “oh, Jeremy Corbyn” – but others around them booed and tried to quieten the culprit down.

After repeated heckles, many of which related to his failure to back a £15 minimum wage, Starmer responded: “Normally at this time on a Wednesday it's the Tories heckling me, doesn't bother me then and doesn't bother me now,” referring to his usual role at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Later, shouting continued as Starmer spoke about the death of his mum and the work of the NHS during her time of need.

He told those responsible: "Shouting slogans or changing lives, conference?", prompting applause from the delegates.

The heckles continued from what sounded like a large group even after the applause came to an end, with Starmer repeating his line and telling them: "We could chant all day."

It is understood that protesters in the audience have been holding up red cards towards Starmer to signal their displeasure with his leadership.

Another asked where Peter Mandelson was. The New Labour architect had been working closely with Starmer earlier this year, it was reported.

A member of Starmer's team told ITV that they consider the heckles to be "an absolute gift", suggesting it looks like he's winning in the civil war against the left of the party. 

In a highly personal speech, the Labour leader described “family and work” as “the two rocks of my life – the two sources of what I believe to be right and good”, highlighting his background as the son of a toolmaker and an NHS nurse who later needed long-term care.

He also contrasted his past as the head of the Crown Prosecution Service with the Prime Minister’s background as a newspaper columnist.

“It’s easy to comfort yourself that your opponents are bad people,” he said.

“But I don’t think Boris Johnson is a bad man. I think he is a trivial man. I think he’s a showman with nothing left to show. I think he’s a trickster who has performed his one trick.

“Once he had said the words: ‘Get Brexit Done’, his plan ran out. He has no plan.”