New Prime Minister Starmer promises to save Britain through actions, not words

By Kylie MacLellan, William James and Sarah Young

LONDON (Reuters) – New British Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised on Friday not just words but deeds to put the country in order, but warned both the voters who gave him a massive majority and those who voted against him that improvements would take time.

Outside his new office and residence at 10 Downing Street, Starmer looked serious, aware of the scale of the challenges ahead after his party’s landslide general election victory ended 14 years of often turbulent Conservative government.

He was greeted with great cheers and took time before his speech to shake hands and hug the staff and well-wishers lined up in Downing Street.

Standing behind a lectern, he said he understood that many Britons were disillusioned with politics after years of scandal and chaos under the Conservatives, who were resoundingly rebuffed in Thursday’s election and suffered a historic defeat.

“This lack of trust can only be cured by actions, not words. I know that,” he said.

“Whether you voted Labour or not, and especially if you didn’t, I say to you directly: my government will serve you. Politics can be a force for good. We will show that.”

The centre-left Labour party won an overwhelming majority in the 650-seat parliament, prompting Rishi Sunak’s resignation on Friday morning. Starmer then met with King Charles and was officially appointed prime minister.

“My government will fight every day until you believe again. From now on, you have a government that is not burdened by doctrines, but guided only by the determination to serve your interests,” he said, underlining what he had repeated during the election campaign – that for him the country comes first and the party second.

“To stand up quietly to those who have written off our country. They have given us a clear mandate and we will use it to bring about change.”

The election result has turned British politics on its head. Labour won around 410 seats, up 210, while the Conservatives, the most successful party in the Western world, lost around 250 MPs, including a record number of senior ministers and former Prime Minister Liz Truss.

Sunak’s Conservatives suffered their worst result in their long history as voters punished them for a cost-of-living crisis, failing public services and a series of scandals.

“I want to say to the country, first of all, that I am sorry,” Sunak said in a final speech outside Downing Street, adding that he would remain leader of the Conservatives until the party was ready to appoint his successor.

“I have done my very best for this job, but you have sent a clear message that the UK government must change and your judgement is the only one that counts. I have heard your anger, your disappointment and I take responsibility for this loss.”

A DIFFICULT ROAD AHEAD OF US

Despite Starmer’s convincing victory, polls suggest there is little enthusiasm for Starmer or his party. Thanks to the quirks of Britain’s first-past-the-post voting system and a low turnout, Labour achieved its triumph with fewer votes than it received in 2017 and 2019 – the last of which was its worst result in 84 years.

The pound, as well as British stocks and government bonds, rose slightly on Friday, but Starmer comes to power at a time when the country faces a number of daunting challenges.

Britain’s tax burden is set to reach its highest level since the post-war period, net debt is almost equal to annual economic output, living standards have fallen and public services are groaning, especially the much-loved National Health Service, which is being hit by strikes.

Some of Labour’s more ambitious plans, such as key green spending pledges, have already been scaled back, while Starmer has promised not to raise taxes on “working people”.

He has also promised to abandon the Conservatives’ controversial policy of sending asylum seekers to Rwanda. But with migration a key election issue, he himself will be under pressure to find a way to stop the arrival of tens of thousands of people crossing the Channel in small boats from France.

“I don’t promise you it will be easy,” Starmer said earlier at a victory celebration. “Changing a country is not like flipping a switch. It’s hard work. Patient, determined, working, and we need to get started right away.”

The UK election result showed an increase in support for the right-wing Reform Party led by Nigel Farage and reflects recent results in Europe, where the far right is experiencing a resurgence.

But unlike in France, where Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National made historic gains in last Sunday’s elections, the British population as a whole has chosen a centre-left party to bring about change.

Starmer has promised to improve relations with the European Union to resolve the problems caused by Britain’s exit from the EU. However, despite his opposition to Brexit, rejoining the EU is not on the table.

He may also have to work with Trump if he wins the presidential election in November. Trump has already sent congratulations to Farage via his social media platform Truth Social.

While Starmer has promised to bring about change at home, he has also pledged to continue London’s full support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. On many foreign policy issues, his policies are similar to those of Sunak.

The election victory represents an incredible turnaround for Starmer and the Labour Party. Just three years ago, when the party seemed to have lost its bearings after its defeat in 2019, critics and supporters of the party were in an existential crisis.

A series of scandals within the Conservative Party – particularly revelations about party politics in Downing Street during the COVID lockdowns – undermined the position of then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and their significant lead in the polls evaporated.

(Additional reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Andrew MacAskill, Alistair Smout, Sachin Ravikumar, Paul Sandle and Muvija M, Kate Holton, William Schomberg; Editing by Philippa Fletcher)