Sir Keir Starmer, the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is preparing to wield his power after years of facing opposition and irrelevance. Although he formally became PM on Friday, preparations for his arrival in Downing Street have been underway for months. Whitehall sources have said that every hour of his first day, week, and month have been mapped out. The Treasury has even boxed in the urinal that was once a feature of the Chancellor’s private bathroom in anticipation of the arrival of the first female Chancellor.
Sir Keir’s team, which includes Rachel Reeves, Wes Streeting, and Bridget Phillipson, have been deeply involved for months in preparing to govern. Senior civil servants and shadow ministers have been in talks for some time, and Sir Keir and his team have been regular attendees at Cobra meetings and security briefings. In addition, at least two former Conservative ministers have been helping the team prepare for power.
Despite winning a massive majority, the Labour manifesto, which is based on Sir Keir’s mission, is not about to be usurped with a huge bold unknown move. There are no secrets, according to one senior figure. However, there may be demands from some in the party for a rapid cessation of arms sales to Israel and an overt commitment to safeguard public services. The new PM has held up the result as a rejection of the Tory Party and a vote for a different type of leadership, and he is not in the mood to redraft his carefully worked out plans.
Labour wants significant changes, including an expansion of workers’ rights, an overhaul of the planning system, and a state energy company. New ministers are likely to do everything they can to talk up how they want to get the economy to grow. However, problems and pitfalls exist for the new government, including the worst economic inheritance since the Second World War. Waiting
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