LONDON: Britain's new Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Friday promised action to fix the country, not just words, but warned voters who gave him a massive majority and those who voted against him that improvements will take time.
Standing outside his new office and residence at 10 Downing Street, Starmer cut a serious figure, acknowledging the scale of the challenges he faced after his party's landslide victory in a parliamentary election that ended 14 years of often tumultuous Conservative rule.
He was greeted with standing ovations and took his time before delivering his speech to shake hands and hug his aides and supporters who lined up at 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 soundly rejected in Thursday's election, suffering a historic defeat.
“This lack of trust can only be cured with actions, not words. I know that,” he said.
“Whether you voted Labour or not – in fact, especially if you didn't – I say to you straight up: my government will be there for you. Politics can be a force for good. We will prove it.”
The centre-left Labour Party won an overwhelming majority in the 650-seat parliament, prompting Rishi Sunak to resign on Friday morning. Starmer then went to meet King Charles and was formally appointed prime minister.
“My government will fight every day until you believe again. From now on, you will have a government without the weight of doctrine, guided only by the determination to serve your interests,” he said, underlining something he had repeated during the campaign: that he would put the country first and the party second.
“To silently challenge those who have written off our country. We have been given a clear mandate and we will use it to create change.”
The election result has upended British politics. The Labour Party won about 410 seats, an increase of 210, while the Conservatives, the most successful party in the Western world, lost about 250 lawmakers, including a record number of senior ministers and former Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Sunak's Conservatives suffered their worst showing in the party's long history as voters punished them for a cost-of-living crisis, poor public services and a series of scandals.
“I would like to say to the country first and foremost that I am sorry,” Sunak said in a final speech outside Downing Street, adding that he would remain as Conservative leader until the party was ready to name his replacement.
“I have given everything I have to this job, but you have sent a clear signal that the UK government must change, and your judgement is the only one that matters. I have heard your anger, your disappointment and I take responsibility for this loss,” he added.
A difficult road ahead
Despite Starmer’s convincing victory, polls suggest there is little enthusiasm for Starmer and his party. Thanks to the peculiarity of Britain’s first-past-the-post system and low turnout, Labour’s victory was achieved with fewer votes than it won in 2017 and 2019 (the latter its worst result in 84 years).
The pound, stocks and British government bonds rose marginally on Friday, but Starmer comes to power at a time when the country faces a series of daunting challenges.
Britain's tax burden is set to reach its highest level since just after the Second World War, net debt is almost equal to annual economic output, living standards have fallen and public services are creaking, especially the much-vaunted National Health Service, which has been hit by strikes.
Some of Labour's most ambitious plans, such as its flagship green spending pledges, have already been scaled back, while Starmer has promised not to raise taxes for “working people”.
He has also promised to scrap the controversial Conservative 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 tens of thousands of people arriving across the Channel from France in small boats.
“I'm not promising you it will be easy,” Starmer told a victory rally. “Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. It's hard work. You have to be patient, you have to be determined, you have to work and we have to start acting immediately.”
The British election result showed a surge in support for the right-wing reformist party led by Nigel Farage, echoing similar recent results in Europe where the far right has been on the rise.
But unlike in France, where Marine Le Pen's National Rally party made historic gains in Sunday's election, the British public has largely turned to a centre-left party to bring about change.
Starmer has promised to improve relations with the European Union to resolve the problems created by Britain's split from the bloc. However, despite opposing 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.
Starmer has promised to bring about change at home, but he has also promised that London will continue to unequivocally support Ukraine in its war against Russia. On many foreign issues, his policies are similar to those of Sunak.
The election victory represents an incredible turnaround for Starmer and the Labour Party, which critics and supporters say was facing an existential crisis just three years ago when it appeared to have lost its way after its 2019 defeat.
A series of Tory scandals – most notably the unveiling of Downing Street party lines during the COVID lockdowns – undermined then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his commanding lead in the polls evaporated.
