Labour Party wins, Britain has a new prime minister
Jul 06, 2024
London [UK], July 6: The Guardian reported on July 5 that the Labour Party won 412 seats while the Conservative Party of former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had only 121 seats. The Liberal Democrats came in third with 71 seats and the Scottish National Party (SNP) with 9 seats. Some other seats went to small parties and independent candidates. The above results are based on 648/650 seats that have been determined.
Commitment to rebuilding
In his first speech as Prime Minister, Starmer pledged to rebuild the country. "The work of change begins immediately. But make no mistake, we will rebuild Britain," he declared. He thanked and said that his predecessor, Rishi Sunak, had to work harder as Britain's first Asian prime minister.
The new prime minister said the lack of trust in British politics could only be overcome by actions, not words. He pledged that the government would work every day to earn people's trust and put the country first. "From now on, you have a government unburdened by doctrine, guided only by its determination to serve your interests. Our work is urgent and we begin today," he concluded before walking into Number 10 Downing Street with his wife Victoria Starmer.
Foreign policy
Mr Starmer's first week as British Prime Minister is expected to include a trip to the US for the NATO summit. He will then return home to chair the European Political Community meeting on July 18, an event expected to include French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
In its foreign policy agenda, Labour pledged to maintain military, financial, diplomatic and political support for Ukraine. In the Middle East, Labour said that lasting peace and security in the region would be its immediate focus. Labour pledged not to bring Britain back into the European Union (EU), but wanted to reset relations with the bloc and remove unnecessary barriers to trade. Labour also said its commitment to NATO was unwavering and saw the United States as a necessary ally of the UK. Labour said it would take a strategic and long-term approach to managing the relationship with China.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
