On Saturday 4th April, at 10:45 a.m. the Labour Party website announced the selection of Keir Starmer as their new Labour leader. The successor of Jeremy Corbyn was contesting against Wigan MP Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long Bailey. In a video that Starmer released on twitter shortly after his victory he said,
“Coronavirus has brought normal life to a halt. Our cities, our towns and our villages are silent, our roads deserted. Public life has all but come to a standstill and we’re missing each other.
“Our willingness to come together like this as a nation has been lying dormant for too long. When millions of us stepped out onto our doorsteps to applaud the carers visibly moved there was hope of a better future. In times like this, we need good government, a government that saves lives and protects our country.
“Under my leadership we will engage constructively with the government, not opposition for opposition’s sake. Not scoring party political points or making impossible demands. But with the courage to support where that’s the right thing to do.”
Starmer’s election victory follows after Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn had performed its worst in the last general election of December 12. Corbyn had shouldered the blame of the decimation of Labour especially in historically held Labour-strong hold constituencies in Northern England including Blythe Valley. Yet, in a recent interview with BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Corbyn had defended his “spending” economic policy and more so in the wake of coronavirus as he praised Chancellor Rishi Sunak for handling the economy and the people during this pandemic.
Now, Starmer has promised to carry Corbyn’s legacy and a step further calling for the party and the country to be united at such a grave time. Allegations around anti-semitism and racism have caused deep fractures within the Labour Party over the last few years with many political pundits questioning the Party’s leadership. Apologising for the grief caused to the Jewish community, whilst paying a tribute to Corbyn, Starmer said,
“Antisemitism has been a stain on our party. I have seen the grief that it’s brought to so many Jewish communities. On behalf of the Labour party, I am sorry.
“When we get through this it’ll be because of our NHS staff, our care workers, our ambulance drivers, our emergency services, our cleaners, our porters. It will be because of the hard work and bravery of every key worker a they took on this virus and kept our country going.
“For too long they’ve been taken for granted and poorly paid. They were last and now they should be first. This is my pledge to the British people. I will do my utmost to guide us through these difficult times, to serve all of our communities and to strive for the good of our country.”
Whilst Starmer was declared as the Labour leader, Angela Rayner became the Party’s Deputy Leader.
