Keir Starmer

Sir Keir Starmer KCB KC (/ˈkɪər ˈstɑːrmər/; born 2 September 1962) is a British Labour Party politician who is Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since the 2024 general election. A former barrister, he was elected as Leader of the Labour Party in April 2020, becoming Leader of the Opposition. Previously, he was the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

2016

 * The referendum is clear and has to be accepted and we can't have a re-run of the question that was put to the country earlier this year. But, and it's a big but, there has to be democratic grip of the process and, at the moment, what the prime minister's trying to do is to manoeuvre without any scrutiny in Parliament and that's why the terms on, which we're going to negotiate absolutely have to be put to a vote in the House.
 * "Brexit: MPs should vote on talks, says Labour's Starmer" BBC News (9 October 2016)


 * We accept and respect the outcome of the referendum.
 * "Reality Check: Could High Court ruling on Article 50 scupper Brexit?" BBC News (3 November 2016)


 * What I think is really important is that the government aims high. My worry is that the government has attached so much importance to immigration that it's not even going to try to get the best access to the single market. In other words, it's going to give up before it starts. My sense is that the government is saying 'because we want to take such a hard line on immigration we are going to give up on parts of the argument that would be better for the economy'.
 * "Brexit talks should include free movement, says Keir Starmer" BBC News (10 November 2016)

2017

 * I wish the result had gone the other way. I campaigned passionately for that.  But as democrats our party has to accept that result and it follows that the prime minister should not be blocked from starting the Article 50 negotiations.
 * "Brexit decision 'difficult' for Labour, Keir Starmer says" BBC News (31 January 2017)


 * What's clear, from the CBI and others, is that there is no result that would be worse for the British economy than leaving [the EU] with no deal
 * "Brexit: Donald Tusk warns UK against 'no deal threat'" BBC News (15 March 2017)


 * The Labour Party has supported strong counter-terrorism legislation over the years and we have that commitment in our manifesto
 * "Labour's Keir Starmer says IRA comments were 'regrettable'" BBC News (7 June 2017)


 * We are absolutely clear we can not have a hard border we need to negotiate with our EU partners.
 * "Labour's Keir Starmer says IRA comments were 'regrettable'" BBC News (7 June 2017)


 * Labour would seek a transitional deal that maintains the same basic terms that we currently enjoy with the EU. That means we would seek to remain in a customs union with the EU and within the single market during this period. It means we would abide by the common rules of both.
 * "Brexit: Keep single market for transition period - Labour" BBC News (27 August 2017)


 * Remaining in a form of customs union after a transition post-Brexit phase remained a possible end destination for the Labour party.
 * "Labour conference: Starmer claims 'grown-up' Brexit stance" BBC News (25 September 2017)


 * [I want a partnership with the EU that] retains the benefits of the single market and the customs union
 * "Brexit: David Davis wants 'Canada plus plus plus' trade deal" BBC News (10 December 2017)

2018

 * Obviously, there are lots of benefits from a customs union, none more so, in many respects, than in Northern Ireland.
 * "Sir Keir Starmer makes NI warning over Brexit deal" BBC News (29 January 2018)


 * We all want to do bold new trade agreements but we would be better off doing that with the EU.
 * "Labour wants permanent customs union treaty after Brexit - Starmer" BBC News (25 February 2018)


 * Benefits of the single market and customs union... need to be hard-wired into the final agreement
 * "Labour frontbencher Owen Smith backs another EU referendum" BBC News (23 March 2018)


 * There's a growing view, I think probably a majority view in Parliament now, that it's in our national interests and economic interests to stay in a customs union with the EU. We've got a huge manufacturing sector in the UK that needs to be protected, with many goods going over borders many, many times, and we need to protect that.
 * "Brexit: Senior MPs to force customs union vote" BBC News (19 April 2018)


 * It is right for Parliament to have the first say but if we need to break the impasse, our options must include campaigning for a public vote and nobody is ruling out Remain as an option.
 * "Labour conference: Members vote to keep referendum option open" BBC News (25 September 2018)


 * I remain as convinced as ever that the consequences of no deal would be so severe that it cannot be allowed to happen.
 * "Brexit: New referendum still an option, says Emily Thornberry" BBC News (11 November 2018)

2019

 * During the talks, almost literally as we were sitting in the room talking, cabinet members and wannabe Tory leaders were torpedoing the talks with remarks about not being willing to accept the customs union. In terms of the team that we were negotiating with, I'm not blaming them. Circling around those that were in the room trying to negotiate were others who didn't want the negotiation to succeed because they had their eye on what was coming next.
 * "Brexit: Withdrawal Agreement Bill 'should include public vote'" BBC News (18 May 2019)


 * When you say you will leave without a deal - do or die - what sort of message does that send to the people of Northern Ireland?
 * "Sir Keir Starmer: MPs 'casual' about no-deal Brexit for NI" BBC News (23 September 2019)

2020



 * Passover is also a fitting moment for me to acknowledge the pain and hurt that the Labour Party has caused Jewish people in recent years Anti-Semitism has been a stain on our party. I have seen first-hand the unacceptable and unimaginable levels of grief and distress it has caused many in the Jewish community and beyond. It is why my very first act on becoming leader over the weekend was to apologise for the hurt that has been caused. I want to apologise again and reiterate my pledge to tear out this poison by its roots.


 * The principle of what I want to achieve is clear: if you are anti-Semitic, you cannot and should not be in the Labour Party. No ifs, no buts.
 * "Keir Starmer: I apologise to the Jewish community — rebuilding your trust starts now" Evening Standard (7 April 2020)
 * Extracts from a pre-recorded speech on 4 April 2020 when Starmer became leader of the Labour Party. See Antisemitism in the UK Labour Party.

2021

 * There are four elections on Thursday 6 May.
 * Twitter Kieran Glasssmith


 * I will change the things that need changing and that is the change that I will bring about.
 * Twitter Adam Bienkov


 * I've got to do Kinnock and Blair's job in one term.
 * Conversation with Jason Cowley (summer 2021), recounted in "The Keir Starmer I know: an outsider driven by self-belief, not politics", The Sunday Times (25 May 2024).
 * The Labour leaders Neil Kinnock (1983–1992) and Tony Blair (from 1994) are most credited with ending one of the party's extended periods of being out of power (1979–1997).

2022

 * What a pathetic spectacle: the dying act of his [Boris Johnson's] political career is to parrot that nonsense. As for those who are left, they are only in office because no one else is prepared to debase themselves any longer—the charge of the lightweight brigade. Have some self-respect! For a week, he has had them defending his decision to promote [Chris Pincher] a sexual predator. Every day, the lines he has forced them to take have been untrue: first, that he was unaware of any allegation—untrue; then, that he was unaware of any “specific” allegation—untrue; then, that he was unaware of any “serious, specific” allegation; and now he wants them to go out and say that he simply forgot that his Whip was a sexual predator. Anyone with anything about them would be long gone from his Front Bench. In the middle of a crisis, does the country not deserve better than a Z-list cast of nodding dogs?
 * Starmer's questions to Prime Minister Boris Johnson regarding the Chris Pincher scandal, during one of his last Prime Ministers' Questions sessions, via UK Parlament's YouTube channel (6 July 2022)


 * So let me be very clear: with Labour, Britain will not go back into the EU. We will not be joining the single market. We will not be joining a customs union.
 * Speech quoted in "Starmer ends Labour silence on Brexit as he rules out rejoining single market", The Guardian (4 July 2022).


 * [Asked if he was concerned about the police dealing with anti-monarchist protesters during a period of national mourning six days after Queen Elizabeth II died.] The word I would use around that issue is respect. I think if people have spent a long time waiting to come forward to have that moment as the coffin goes past or whatever it may be, I think respect that, because people have made a huge effort to come and have that private moment to say thank you to Queen Elizabeth II. Respect that. Obviously we have to respect the fact that some people disagree. One of the great British traditions is the ability to protest and to disagree. But I think if it can be done in the spirit of respect. Respect the fact that hundreds of thousands of people do want to come forward and have that moment. Don’t ruin it for them. But also we do need to respect the fact that other people must be entitled to express their different views.
 * Comments on the BBC Breakfast programme, cited in "Don't 'ruin' the period of mourning, Sir Keir Starmer tells anti-royalists" The Telegraph (14 September 2022)


 * Today I want to set out what's at stake for Britain, because while politics is always about choices, the choice now is as stark as it gets. We face a battle for the soul of our country, who we are, who we're for, and the Labour choices of Britian is that it's greener, fairer, and more dynamic.
 * Government is in turmoil, Starmer calls for an Election Speech (October 2022)


 * The lady's not for turning up.
 * Starmer to Penny Mordaunt about Liz Truss, as cited in "Liz Truss accused of ‘hiding away’ after sending Penny Mordaunt to face MPs in her place", The Independent (17 October 2024)
 * An allusion to a comments by Margaret Thatcher at the 1980 Conservative Party conference ending with "You turn if you want to. The lady's not for turning". Truss was accused of copying the former prime minister's wardrobe.


 * The only mandate she's ever had was from members opposite. It was a mandate built on fantasy economics, and it ended in disaster. The country's got nothing to show for it except the destruction of the economy and the implosion of the Tory Party. I've got the list here: 45p tax cut, gone. Corporation tax cut, gone. 20p tax cut, gone. Two-year energy freeze, gone. Tax-free shopping, gone. Economic credibility, gone! And her supposed best friend the former chancellor, he's gone as well. They're all gone! So why is she still here?
 * Starmer's questions to Prime Minister Liz Truss regarding the September 2022 "mini budget" during her last Prime Ministers' Questions session, via The Guardian's YouTube channel (19 October 2022)


 * The only time he ran in a competitive election, he got trounced by the former prime minister, who herself got beaten by lettuce!
 * Starmer's questions to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak regarding Sunak losing his first leadership bid to Liz Truss, during Sunak's first Prime Ministers' Questions session, via The Guardian's YouTube channel (25 October 2022)


 * So that means fair rules, firm rules, a points-based system. What I would like to see is the numbers go down in some areas. I think we're recruiting too many people from overseas into, for example, the health service. But on the other hand, if we need high-skilled people in innovation in tech to set up factories etc, then I would encourage that.
 * [Opposing a future Scottish independence referendum regardless of the Supreme Court in London potentially deciding to accept the Scottish Parliament has a legal right to hold one.] It's good the case has gone to court because I think it's better to have legal certainty, so we all know the basis on which we're operating [...] All the court is going to be able to rule is, if it does rule in favour, is that there could or can be, [that] it's legally permissible to have a referendum. That doesn't answer the political question, which is 'should there be a referendum'?
 * Interviewed on The Sunday Show (BBC Scotland television programme, 6 November 2022), as cited in "Keir Starmer says NHS jobs must be filled domestically as he fails to set out democratic route to independence"], The Scotsman (7 November 2022).


 * We took the decision to leave and we have left. So now what we need to do is rather than just sticking with the deal we've got which is not good enough, we need to make Brexit work.
 * Interviewed on The Sunday Show (BBC Scotland television programme, 6 November 2022), as quoted in "Keir Starmer: There is no case for returning to the EU" The Herald (Glasgow, 6 November 2022).

2023

 * Antisemitism is an evil. It is a very specific type of racism, one that festers and spreads like an infection. Its conspiratorial nature attracts those who would have no truck with any other form of prejudice. Indeed, it can be those who call themselves "anti-racist" who are most blind to it. The reason the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) opened their investigation into the Labour Party was because it had become an incubator for this poison. We needed to change. That's why my first act as leader was to commit to tearing antisemitism out by the roots, without fear or favour.
 * The Labour Party I lead today is unrecognisable from 2019. There are those who don't like that change, who still refuse to see the reality of what had gone on under the previous leadership. To them I say in all candour: we are never going back. If you don’t like it, nobody is forcing you to stay.
 * The Labour Party I lead is patriotic. It is a party of public service, not protest. It is a party of equality, justice and fairness; one that proudly puts the needs of working people above any fringe interest. It is a party that doesn't just talk about change – it delivers it.
 * "Keir Starmer: My Labour is patriotic, a party of equality not protest" The Times (14 February 2023)


 * The lettuces are out, but the turnips are in.
 * To Sunak at PMQs (March 2023)

It's worth us all just asking ourselves...if we are not prepared to do these sort of schemes what are we going to do. If increasing numbers of people, and young people as well, are getting cancer...I have to say..intake of breath when I saw the phot[o]graph, they said there are the dark areas that are lung cancer because of it (air pollution). We can’t just sit that out.
 * They blew up for me an incredibly detailed photograph of a lung with very dark marks on it which were all the air pollution from our roads which were causing cancer in that and many other patients.
 * On a visit to the Crick Institute in an interview on LBC, as cited in "Keir Starmer: Ulez expansion needed to curb lung cancer", Evening Standard (15 May 2023).


 * [On the Just Stop Oil protests] I can't wait for them to stop their antics, frankly. They're interrupting iconic sporting events that are part of our history, tradition and massively looked forward to across the nation. I absolutely condemn the way they go about their tactics. And I have to say it's riddled with an arrogance that only they have the sort of right to force their argument on other people in this way.
 * On Times Radio (6 July 2023), as cited in "Keir Starmer promises compulsory arts or sport until 16" The Times (6 July 2023)


 * In fact, I hate tree huggers.
 * Reported (but officially denied) comments to the Shadow Cabinet after a presentation from Ed Miliband (Shadow Secretary of State for Climate Change and Net Zero), as cited in "'I hate tree huggers': How Starmer apparently exploded over Labour’s green policy" The Independent (10 July 2023)
 * The claim originally appeared in a Sunday Times article on 9 July 2023.

We all need to reflect on that, including the mayor [of London], but there's no taking away from the historic event that has happened here in Selby [and Ainsty].
 * As for Uxbridge [and South Ruislip], we always knew that was going to be tough [...] We didn't win Uxbridge in 1997, and obviously we knew that ULEZ [(Ultra Low Emission Zone)] was an issue. That's why we lost in Uxbridge.
 * "Labour's Uxbridge defeat sparks blame game: 'We've got a lot to think about'", Sky News (21 July 2023)
 * On 20 July 2023, three by-elections were held. Labour was narrowly defeated in Uxbridge and South Ruislip (the former constituency of Conservative Boris Johnson) by 495 votes, but gained Selby and Ainsty from the Conservatives with a voting swing of 23.7%.

2024

 * Further information came to light yesterday calling for decisive action, so I took decisive action. It is a huge thing to withdraw support for a Labour candidate during the course of a by-election. It's a tough decision, a necessary decision, but when I say the Labour Party has changed under my leadership I mean it.
 * Comments in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire (13 February 2024), as cited in "Graham Jones: Labour suspends second candidate over Israel comments", The Times (13 February 2024)
 * Azhar Ali, a candidate in the 2024 Rochdale by-election in Greater Manchester had been suspended by the Labour Party after changes to candidates listed on ballot papers could no longer be legally changed. Also suspended from the party was Graham Jones, a former Labour Party MP for Hyndburn (and selected as a candidate for the eventual July 2024 general election in his former seat), in the neighbouring county of Lancashire. Both had made antisemitic comments. The 2024 Wellingborough by-election was held two days later. It was being disputed in the media that Starmer had taken "decisive action" against Azhar Ali as it had taken nearly two days before he was suspended after the first reports of his initial comments.


 * Every time there's been the threat of a rebellion he's backed down. The one thing you get if you win the leadership of your party is the right to say 'I've won the leadership and I'm going to do this, and we're going to do it and this is what I'm saying we're going to do with the party, and we're going to do it’. He doesn't have the ability to do that because he hasn't got a mandate.
 * Speaking on the Political Party podcast with Matt Forde, as cited in "Sir Keir Starmer: I loathed unprincipled, lying Boris Johnson" The Times (21 February 2023)


 * Tonight the Prime Minister has finally announced the next General Election. A moment the country needs – and has been waiting for. And where, by the force of our democracy power returns to you. A chance to change for the better. Your future. Your community. Your country. It will feel like a long campaign – I’m sure of that. But no matter what else is said and done. That opportunity for change is what this election is about. Over the course of the last four years – we have changed the Labour Party. Returned it once more to the service of working people. All we ask now – humbly – is to do exactly the same for our country. And return Britain to the service of working people. To that purpose. We offer three reasons why you should change Britain with Labour. One – because we will stop the chaos. Look around our country. The sewage in our rivers. People waiting on trolleys in A&E. Crime virtually unpunished. Mortgages and food prices – through the roof. It’s all – every bit of it – a direct result of the Tory chaos in Westminster. Time and again, they pursue their own interests. Rather than tackling the issues that affect your family. And if they get another five years, they will feel entitled to carry on exactly as they are. Nothing will change. A vote for Labour is a vote for stability – economic and political. A politics that treads more lightly on all our lives. A vote to stop the chaos. Two – because it’s time for change. Our offer is to reset both our economy and our politics. So that they once again serve the interests of working people. We totally reject the Tory view that economic strength is somehow gifted from those at the top. Over the past fourteen years – through all the crises we have had to face – sticking with this idea has left our country exposed, insecure and unable to unlock the potential of every community. But a vote for Labour is a vote to turn the page on all that. A vote for change. And finally, three – because we have a long-term plan to rebuild Britain. A plan that is ready to go. Fully-costed and fully funded. We can deliver economic stability. Cut the NHS waiting times. Secure our borders with a New Border Security Command. Harness Great British Energy to cut your bills for good. Tackle anti-social behaviour. And get the teachers we need in your children’s classroom. But most of importantly of all, we do all this with a new spirit of service. Country first, party second. A rejection of the gesture politics you will see in this campaign, I have no doubt from the Tories and from the SNP. I am well aware of the cynicism people hold towards politicians at the moment. But I came into politics late, having served our country as leader of the Crown Prosecution Service. And I helped the Police Service in Northern Ireland to gain the consent of all communities. Service of our country is the reason – and the only reason – why I am standing here now – asking for your vote. And I believe with patience, determination and that commitment to service there is so much pride and potential we can unlock across our country. So – here it is – the future of the country – in your hands. On 4th July you have the choice. And together, we can stop the chaos. We can turn the page. We can start to rebuild Britain. And change our country. Thank you.
 * Responding to the 2024 election being called. "Keir Starmer delivering a speech on the announcement of the UK General Election", Labour.org (22 May 2024)


 * Thank you, let me start by saying thank you Louise – for your service. What a fantastic contribution you will make to Parliament as the Labour MP for North East Derbyshire. And thank you John – for all your support and your leadership on this vital issue. Now, this week is the 80th anniversary of D-Day, so I want to start by remembering the bravery of those soldiers who sailed from the South of England to the beaches of France. The individual courage and the collective strength of our troops whose sacrifice that day turned the tide of the Second World War, brought liberation to Europe, and secured our freedom. This week and every week – we will remember them. And we will honour them. Some gave their lives so we could live freely. Others returned home to build a new Britain. We salute those who remain with us today and keep the memory of their fallen comrades alive. And we recognise with one voice, as a nation, that our debt can never be paid in full. But of course – we can honour their sacrifice with our decisions today. And we must. Because sadly, the world we live in today is perhaps more dangerous and volatile than at any time since then, and frankly, for my generation, that’s a shock. I mean, I remember vividly the day the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. I remember how I felt. A sense of freedom, of possibility, of peace. European countries once again free to choose their own futures, new allegiances being made, friendships forged out of the scars of war. And above all, a sense – as the wall came down – nothing like that could happen again. An end of an era. I didn't think that in my lifetime I would see Russian tanks entering a European country again. The rumble of war rolling across our continent, soldiers kissing their children goodbye, desperate families fleeing across European borders in search of safety. But in that moment, as we saw those pictures from Kyiv, I understood. The post-war era is over and a new age of insecurity has begun. An era where the burden of history – for people and nations will once again, be heavier on our backs. National security is the most important issue of our times. Something which, of course, is always true, and which for us, if we are privileged to serve our country, will become our solemn responsibility. That’s not something I say lightly: the security and defence of our nation is personal to my family. Like so many families, I have relatives who served in the second world war. My mum's brother, my uncle Roger, served in the Falklands on HMS Antelope. And I remember the terrible wait when his ship was bombed. My mum’s fear as she sat by the radio every day, listening for news, and then the relief, a long week later, when we found out he had survived. So I know the courage, the service, and the sacrifice that allows us to sleep soundly at night from our forces and their families. I know it. I respect it. And I will serve it – with every decision. It is part of my story, and the reason why I said – from day one of my leadership – that the Labour Party had to change. Change for a purpose. To respect your service, face the future in this dangerous world, and above all – to keep Britain safe. That is why, with my changed Labour Party, national security will always come first. That’s a message I took to Kyiv last year when I visited President Zelensky. A pledge of unwavering British support in the face of Russian tyranny. But we have to be resolute, not just in our support for Ukraine but also – in this era, at home. We must face down malign actors who try to attack and weaken our nation, and not just through traditional warfare over air, land and sea, but with hybrid threats – to our energy supply, cyber security, information warfare. Now – I would prefer if politics were kept out of this issue – even at this election. Throughout the whole of this Parliament. I have deliberately not been partisan over issues of national security. Yet just before this election, the Tories questioned this Labour Party's commitment to national security. And I will not let that stand. The people of Britain need to know that their leaders will keep them safe – and we will. Furthermore, the truth is that after 14 years of the Tories, we are less safe and less secure. You don't have to take my word for it. The Tory's own former defence secretary says the government has failed to take defence seriously. We have the smallest army since the time of Napoleon, at a time when other countries are firmly on a war footing. So – even as we work tirelessly for peace, we have to be fit to fight. So let me be unequivocal. This Labour Party is totally committed to the security of our nation. To our armed forces. And, importantly, to our nuclear deterrent. Just a few weeks ago I visited BAE Systems in Barrow-in-Furness. I was the first Labour leader to visit in 30 years. I saw the nuclear submarines being made. I saw an industry that supports the local community and I met workers who are proud to be doing their bit for our national security. They deserve our full support, and they will get it. The nuclear deterrent is the foundation of any plan to keep Britain safe – it is essential. That's why Labour has announced a new triple-lock commitment to our nuclear deterrent. We'll maintain Britain’s Continuous at Sea deterrent 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Deliver all the needed future upgrades and we will build four new nuclear submarines like the ones I saw in Barrow. That won't just keep us safe, it will also support good jobs and growth across the UK. One of my first visits after I became leader of the Labour Party was to Plymouth, the frontline of defence in this country. Devonport alone employs 2,500 service people and civilians, it supports 400 local businesses, and it generates around 10% of Plymouth’s income. And when I was there, I met the shipbuilding apprentices – talented, ambitious young people. And I looked them in the eye and promised that I would fight for the future of Plymouth’s defence industry. And I will. Because it's only by harnessing and supporting the strength of proud communities like Plymouth, Barrow, Aldershot, and so many more, that means we can safeguard our security and our growth for the decades to come. I mean look at Ukraine now. Industrial capacity is an absolutely critical part of security. So with Labour, Britain will be fit to fight. Within the first year of a Labour government, we will carry out a new strategic defence review. And we're absolutely committed to spending 2.5% of GDP on defence as soon as possible, because we know our security isn't just vital for our safety today, it's absolutely central to our success for the future. National security and economic security must go hand in hand. And we also know that playing our part on the world stage makes us stronger and better off at home. So make no mistake: I am absolutely committed to rebuilding relationships with our allies. I went to the Munich Security Conference back in February, I met with world leaders from the US, Europe and the Middle East and I met the Secretary General of NATO. And I pledged to each of them that with a Labour government, the UK would be a point of stability in a chaotic world, that we would always meet our international obligations, take our responsibilities seriously and be a leader on the world stage once more. Because when I spoke about D-Day at the beginning I wasn't just talking about respect for our past, I was thinking about our future as well. Because that is the best example of what cooperation can achieve in the face of fascism and aggression. Our joint endeavour, our shared values, our common respect for freedom, democracy, liberty, that's what we were fighting for and that fight never stops. There is a narrative you see sometimes that our values are a point of weakness. That’s what Putin thinks. But he's wrong. Ukraine has shown that, and we must be prepared to stand up as well, because those values are our cause and our strength. Let me be clear. This is not a party-political issue, this is a national issue. It affects every single individual, every community, and Labour will always put our country first. We will serve working people across our nation, and respect our armed forces as they continue to protect our country. But on July 4th there is a choice. And you can choose to rebuild a country that is proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with European allies, that leads the way in standing up for our values and our freedom, all around the world, and that will never shy away from doing our duty at home and abroad. A stronger, safer, more secure Britain with Labour. That is the choice. It’s time to stop the chaos, time to turn the page and rebuild our country, together. Thank you very much.
 * From the manifesto launch, as cited in "Keir Starmer – A stronger, safer, more secure Britain speech", Labour Party press release (3 June 2024)


 * This is a serious plan, carefully thought through. It is not about rabbits out of the hat, it's not about pantomime, we've had enough of that. I'm running as a candidate to be prime minister, not a candidate to run the circus.
 * If you want politics as pantomime, I hear Clacton is nice this time of year.
 * Speaking to journalists at the manifesto launch, as cited in "", Sky News (3 June 2024).
 * Nigel Farage, the Reform UK candidate in Clacton, was gaining significant media attention.

We did it. You campaigned for it, you fought for it, you voted for it and now it has arrived. Change begins now. And it feels good, I have to be honest. Four-and-a-half years of work changing the party. This is what it is for – a changed Labour Party ready to serve our country, ready to restore Britain to the service of working people. And across our country, people will be waking up to the news – relieved that a weight has been lifted, a burden finally removed from the shoulders of this great nation. And now we can look forward again, walk into the morning, the sunlight of hope, pale at first, but getting stronger through the day, shining once again on a country with the opportunity after 14 years to get its future back. And I want to thank each and every one of you here for campaigning so hard for change, and not just in this campaign either – also for these four-and-a-half years changing our party. The Labour movement is always – everything’s achieved past and future – down to the efforts of its people. So thank you truly – you have changed our country. But a mandate like this comes with great responsibility. Our task is nothing less than renewing ideas that hold this country together – national renewal. Whoever you are, wherever you started in life, if you work hard, if you play by the rules, this country should give you a fair chance to get on. It should always respect your contribution and we have to restore that. And alongside that, we have to return politics to public service, show that politics can be a force for good. Make no mistake, that is the great test of politics in this era – the fight for trust is the battle that defines our age. It is why we campaigned so hard on demonstrating we are fit for public service. Service is the pre-condition for hope, respect the bond that can unite a country. Together, the values of this changed Labour Party are the guiding principle for a new government – country first, party second. That is the responsibility of this mandate. You know, 14 years ago, we were told that we’re all in it together. I say to the British people today, imagine what we can do if that were actually true. So by all means, enjoy this moment. Nobody can say you haven’t waited patiently. Enjoy the feeling of waking up on a morning like this with the emotion that you do see the country through the same eyes. Hold onto it, because it is what unity is made from, but use it to show to the rest of the country, as we must, that this party has changed, that we will serve them faithfully, govern for every single person in this country. But also don’t forget how we got here. This morning, we can see that the British people have voted to turn the page on 14 years but don’t pretend that there was anything inevitable about that – there’s nothing pre-ordained in politics. Election victories don’t fall from the sky. They’re hard won and hard fought for, and this one could only be won by a changed Labour Party. We have the chance to repair our public services because we’ve changed the party. We have the chance to make work pay because we’ve changed the party. We have the chance to deliver for working people, young people, vulnerable people, the poorest in our society because we’ve changed the party.
 * Thank you so much for that reception – what an amazing reception.

‘Country first, party second’ isn’t a slogan – it’s the guiding principle (of) everything we have done and must keep on doing – on the economy, on national security, on protecting our borders. The British people have to look us in the eye and see that we can serve their interest and that work doesn’t stop now – it never stops. The changes we’ve made are permanent, irreversible and we must keep going. We ran as a changed Labour Party and we will govern as a changed Labour Party. I don’t promise you it will be easy. Changing a country’s not like flicking a switch, it’s hard work, patient work, determined work, and we will have to get moving immediately. But even when the going gets tough, and it will, remember, tonight and always, what this is all about. Now I may have mentioned my parents a few times in this campaign – once or twice – but the sense of security we had, the comfort they took from believing that Britain would always be better for their children, the hope, not high-minded, not idealistic, but a hope that working-class families like mine could build their lives around. It is hope that may not burn brightly in Britain at the moment, but we have earned the mandate to relight the fire. That is the purpose of this party and of this Government. 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. Thank you.
 * Speech after winning a landslide victory (5 July 2024)

First speech as Prime Minister (5 July 2024)

 * LabourList transcription (5 July 2024) · BBC transcription · YouTube video

I want to thank the outgoing Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak. His achievement as the first British Asian Prime Minister of our country — the extra effort that that will have required — should not be underestimated by anyone. We pay tribute to that today, and we also recognise the dedication and hard work he brought to his leadership. But now our country has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public service.
 * I have just returned from Buckingham Palace, where I accepted an invitation from His Majesty the King to form the next government of this great nation.

I know that, but we can make a start today with the simple acknowledgement that public service is a privilege and that your government should treat every single person in this country with respect. If you voted Labour yesterday, we will carry the responsibility of your trust as we rebuild our country. But whether you voted Labour or not — in fact, especially if you did not — I say to you directly, my government will serve you. Politics can be a force for good. We will show that. We’ve changed the Labour Party, returned it to service — and that is how we will govern, country first party second.
 * When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive from politicians grows this big, it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future — that we need to move forward together. Now this wound, this lack of trust, can only be healed by actions, not words.

And yet this depends upon politicians, particularly those who stand for stability and moderation — as I do — recognising when we must change course. For too long now, we turned a blind eye as millions slid into greater insecurity. Nurses, builders, drivers, carers, people doing the right thing, working harder every day, recognised at moments like this before, yet, as soon as the cameras stop rolling, their lives are ignored. I want to say very clearly to those people — not this time.
 * Yet, if I am honest, service is merely a precondition of hope, and 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 great strengths of this nation has always been our ability to navigate away to calmer waters.

But have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately. Have no doubt that we will rebuild Britain with wealth created in every community.
 * Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. The world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while.

Because if I asked you now whether you believe that Britain will be better for your children, I know too many of you would say no, and so 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, quietly, those who have written our country off.
 * Brick by brick, we will rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity, the world class schools and colleges, the affordable homes that I know are the ingredients of hope for working people, the security that working class families like mine can build their lives around.

Four nations standing together again, facing down as we have so often in our past, the challenges of an insecure world committed to a calm and patient rebuilding. So with respect and humility, I invite you all to join this government of service in the mission of national renewal. Our work is urgent, and we begin it today.
 * You have given us a clear mandate, and we will use it to deliver change. To restore service and respect to politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives and unite our country.

Quotes about Starmer

 * If you want a culture wars warrior, Starmer is not your man. If you want a radical socialist who seeks to overturn capitalism, Starmer is not your man. If you want an entertainer, a comedian, a tweeter, Starmer is not your man. If you want to rerun previous leaders, Wilson or Blair, or someone who runs an agile team firing on all cylinders, sorry, Starmer is not your man. But if you want a leader who might start to heal the sinews of an enfeebled state and anaemic economy, and who will work in the interests of the relatively powerless, then he may very well be who we need.
 * Andrew Marr "Keir Starmer's thirst for power", The New Statesman (21 February 2024)


 * On 5 July, either Keir Starmer or I will be Prime Minister. He has shown time and time again that he will take the easy way out and do anything to get power. If he was happy to abandon all the promises he made to become Labour leader once he got the job, how can you know that he won't do exactly the same thing if he were to become Prime Minister? If you don't have the conviction to stick to anything you say, if you don't have the courage to tell people what you want to do, and if you don't have a plan, how can you possibly be trusted to lead our country, especially at this most uncertain of times?
 * Rishi Sunak (22 May 2024) announcing the 2024 United Kingdom general election "Rishi Sunak's full speech announcing general election on 4 July"


 * Whilst he has been my political opponent, Sir Keir Starmer will shortly become our Prime Minister. In this job, his successes will be all our successes, and I wish him and his family well. Whatever our disagreements in this campaign, he is a decent, public-spirited man, who I respect. He and his family deserve the very best of our understanding, as they make the huge transition to their new lives behind this door, and as he grapples with this most demanding of jobs in an increasingly unstable world.
 * Rishi Sunak (5 July 2024); from a speech in Downing Street shortly before tending his resignation to Charles III. As cited in "Full text: I will resign as Conservative leader", The Spectator (5 July 2024).