Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to be bolder to turn around Britain’s fortunes, making an impassioned plea to both his Labour Party and voters on Monday to stick with him and avoid a leadership contest he said would only bring chaos.
Speaking at a community centre in London, Starmer all but admitted he had been too timid in tackling the myriad of problems besetting Britain since he won a large majority in 2024, and said he took responsibility for one of the worst defeats for Labour in last week’s elections.
Describing the global backdrop of conflicts in Ukraine and Iran as one of the most dangerous “than at any time in my life”, Starmer said he would now offer a “complete break” with the decision-making of the past that led to the “status quo”.
Instead, he promised to govern with the “hope and urgency” required to improve living standards and produce a “stronger, fairer” Britain to try to crush the challenge posed by the populist Reform UK party on the right, and the Greens from the left before the next national election due in 2029.
‘I WILL PROVE THEM WRONG’
“Our response this time must be different, a complete break. We must make this country stronger and take control of our economic security,” he said.
“I know that people are frustrated by the state of Britain. Frustrated by politics, and some people are frustrated with me,” he said. “I know I have my doubters and I know I need to prove them wrong. And I will,” Starmer told an audience of party faithful, who offered him several standing ovations.
The applause was a long way from the messaging groups of Labour lawmakers, where talk about removing Starmer has stepped up a gear after the party lost hundreds of seats in elections to councils in England and the parliaments in Scotland and Wales.
Catherine West, a little-known former junior minister, broke cover at the weekend to threaten to seek a leadership contest if Starmer failed to offer radical change, a move which could force a wider leadership race if she can get the backers.
She changed tack on Monday, asking Labour lawmakers to back the idea of setting out a timetable for him to stand down rather than immediately standing herself.
Starmer has long said he would not leave his job voluntarily, and his team said the speech was a way of showing the often quietly spoken former lawyer was resolute in delivering not only for his party, but the wider country.
“I’m not going to walk away,” Starmer said.
“I think what we witnessed with the last government was the chaos of constantly changing leaders and it cost this country a huge amount,” he said, referring to Conservative governments which saw five different leaders in just over six years.
THREE PLEDGES SO FAR
While acknowledging he had made mistakes, Starmer, 63, defended some of his decisions, saying he was right to make sure Britain was not dragged into the conflict in Iran and had started to make progress in bringing down waiting lists for the public health service and reducing immigration levels.
He said he would now go further to put Britain at the heart of Europe, although his one policy on securing closer ties with the European Union was the offer to younger people of a youth mobility scheme with the bloc’s member states.
Other than that, he said he would try to take British Steel under national ownership and make sure every child would be able to realise their talents by investing in apprenticeships, technical colleges and on special needs education.
He promised there would be more policies to come in a King’s Speech on Wednesday to open the next session of parliament, but the policy offering on Monday was light and might not yet convince those doubting he has what it takes to carry on.
His plea was simple – give me a chance.
“I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I’ve got some doubters, including in my own party, and I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I have to prove them wrong, and I will,” he said to cheers.
“I also feel a deep sense of personal responsibility to deliver on the mandate we won back in the 2024 general election … That is what I will deliver.”