LONDON: Newly elected UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday said Britain needed to rediscover its identity and undergo a wider reset, in his first words outside his new office at 10 Downing Street, promising to fight to restore trust in politics and serve all voters.
Greeted in Downing Street by a large crowd of cheering aides and supporters after formally accepting King Charles’s invitation to become prime minister, Starmer’s first address made the case for moderate politics to repair voters’ broken trust.
“It is surely clear to everyone that our country needs a bigger reset, a rediscovery of who we are, because no matter how fierce the storms of history, one of the greatest strengths of this nation has always been our ability to navigate a way to calmer waters,” he said.
“This depends upon politicians, particularly those who stand for stability and moderation, as I do.”
He added: “My government will fight every day until you believe again. From now on, you have a government unburdened by doctrine, guided only by the determination to serve your interest. To defy those quietly those who have written our country off.
“You have given us a clear mandate, And we will use it to deliver change.”
King Charles III earlier officially appointed Starmer as prime minister during an audience at Buckingham Palace.
A photograph released by the palace showed the monarch shaking hands with Starmer, whose party won a landslide election victory. The king earlier accepted the resignation of Conservative leader Rishi Sunak.
“The king received in Audience The Right Honourable Sir Keir Starmer MP today and requested him to form a new administration,” a palace statement read.
“Sir Keir accepted his majesty’s offer and kissed hands upon his appointment as prime minister and first lord of the Treasury.”
🤝 The King received in Audience The Rt Hon Sir Keir Starmer MP today and requested him to form a new Administration.
Sir Keir accepted His Majesty’s offer and was appointed Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury. pic.twitter.com/g1TwdPObbD
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 5, 2024
Starmer vowed to bring change to Britain as its next prime minister after his Labour Party surged to a comprehensive win in a parliamentary election, ending 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative government.
The centre-left Labour was set to win a massive majority in the 650-seat parliament with Sunak’s Conservatives poised to suffer the worst performance in the party’s long history as voters punished them for a cost of living crisis, failing public services, and a series of scandals.
“Change begins now,” Starmer said in a victory speech.
“We said we would end the chaos, and we will, we said we would turn the page, and we have. Today, we start the next chapter, begin the work of change, the mission of national renewal and start to rebuild our country.
“Tonight, people here and around the country have spoken and they’re ready for change, to end the politics of performance, a return to politics as public service,” Starmer said after winning his seat in London.
“The change begins right here … You have voted. It is now time for us to deliver.”
Sunak conceded defeat and said he had called Starmer to congratulate him on his victory.
“Today power will change hands in a peaceful and orderly manner, with goodwill on all sides,” Sunak said after regaining his seat.
“There is much to learn and reflect on and I take responsibility for the loss to the many good hardworking Conservative candidates … I am sorry.”
Despite his convincing victory, polls have suggested there is little enthusiasm for Starmer or his party, and he comes to power at a time when the country is facing a series of daunting challenges.
Britain’s tax burden is set to hit its highest since just after World War Two, net debt is almost equivalent to annual economic output, living standards have fallen, and public services are creaking, especially the much cherished National Health Service which has been dogged by strikes.
He has already had to scale back some of Labour’s more ambitious plans, such as its flagship green spending pledges, while he has promised not to raise taxes for “working people”.
“I don’t promise you it will be easy,” Starmer said. “Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. It’s hard work. Patient, determined, work, and we will have to get moving immediately.”
President Asif Ali Zardari congratulated Starmer on his success, saying that Pakistan looked forward to working with the new government to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in all areas of mutual interest.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Muhammad Ishaq Dar also congratulated PM Starmer on his victory.
“I extend my heartfelt felicitations to Keir Starmer, Leader of The Labour Party on the historic victory in the parliamentary election in the United Kingdom. Pakistan and UK share deep-rooted and broad-based ties founded in shared history and people-to-people contacts,” DPM Dar said in a post on X.
He expressed confidence that under Starmer’s stewardship, the bilateral relationship between Pakistan and the UK would be further strengthened and both countries would work together for global peace, prosperity and development.
I extend my heartfelt felicitations to @Keir_Starmer, Leader of Labour Party @UKLabour on the historic victory in parliamentary election in United Kingdom. Pakistan and UK share deep-rooted and broad-based ties founded in shared history and people-to-people contacts.
I am…— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) July 5, 2024
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni congratulated Starmer for his election win while thanking “friend” Sunak for “these years of intense collaboration”.
“My congratulations to Keir Starmer on his election success,” Meloni wrote on X.
“The state of relations between Italy and the United Kingdom is excellent and I am sure that we will continue to cultivate a strong and reliable collaborative relationship between our great nations. “
Le mie congratulazioni a @Keir_Starmer per la sua affermazione elettorale. Lo stato dei rapporti tra Italia e Regno Unito è eccellente e sono certa che continueremo a coltivare un rapporto di collaborazione forte e affidabile tra le nostre grandi Nazioni, nell’interesse dei…
— Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) July 5, 2024
Rise of reform
Much of the heavy damage to the Conservative support was inflicted by the right-wing populist Reform UK party, headed by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, who had campaigned strongly on curbing immigration.
Starmer has promised to scrap the Conservative’s controversial policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda, but will be under pressure himself to find a solution to stopping tens of thousands of people arriving across the Channel on small boats.
Within the Conservative party, the recriminations and debate over its future direction immediately began, with some saying its failure stemmed from abandoning the centre ground while others argued Reform had won over voters who felt the party had deserted its roots.
Reform captured four seats, with Farage himself finally being elected to parliament at his eighth attempt, and won more votes than the Conservatives across swathes of the country.
“There is a massive gap on the centre right of British politics and my job is to fill it, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” a triumphant Farage said.
“Believe me, folks, this is just the first step of something that is going to stun all of you.”
The rise in support for a populist alternative echoed recent similar results in Europe, where the far right have been surging.
But, unlike France where Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party made historic gains in an election last Sunday, overall the British public has plumped for a centre-left party to bring about change.
Starmer has promised to improve relations with the European Union to resolve issues created by Brexit, just as far-right politicians are enjoying success. However, despite opposing Brexit, rejoining the European Union is not on the table.
He may also have to work with Donald Trump in the United States if he wins November’s presidential election. Trump has already sent his congratulations to his friend and supporter Farage, via his social media platform Truth Social.
While he has promised to bring change domestically, Starmer has vowed to continue London’s unequivocal support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. On many foreign issues, his policies are similar to Sunak’s.
Turnaround
The election victory represents an incredible turnaround for Starmer and Labour, which critics and supporters said was facing an existential crisis just three years ago when it appeared to have lost its way after its 2019 drubbing.
But a series of Conservative scandals — most notably revelations of parties in Downing Street during Covid lockdowns — undermined then prime minister Boris Johnson and its commanding poll leads evaporated.
Liz Truss’ disastrous six-week premiership, which followed Johnson being forced out at the end of 2022, cemented the decline, and Sunak was unable to make any dent in Labour’s now commanding poll lead.
Sunak stunned Westminster and many in his own party by calling the election earlier than he needed to in May with the Conservatives trailing Labour by some 20 points in opinion polls, and his campaign then proved a disaster.
“We deserved to lose. The Conservative Party just appears exhausted and out of ideas,” Ed Costello, the chairman of the Grassroots Conservatives organisation, which represents rank-and-file members, told Reuters.
“But it is not all Rishi Sunaks fault. It is Boris Johnson and Liz Truss that have led the party to disaster. Rishi Sunak is just the fall guy.”
