Sir Keir Starmer and his team are starting their first full day in power following their landslide victory, which ended 14 years of Conservative rule. Addressing the media outside 10 Downing Street after his win, Sir Keir promised to start the work of change immediately and rebuild Britain. The new Cabinet met on Saturday to discuss the priorities of the new administration, with several junior ministers expected to be appointed over the weekend. The main focus of the new government is expected to be the NHS, which Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting has said is “broken”.
The Cabinet, which was announced on Friday, includes the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, alongside Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Although the Cabinet is less ethnically diverse than the previous Tory top table, it is roughly reflective of the UK as a whole, with 12% minority ethnic members including Mr Lammy. The inner circle contains 50% women, headed up by Ms Reeves and Deputy PM and Levelling Up Secretary, Angela Rayner, and 12% LGBT members, including Mr Streeting.
The new administration aims to focus on economic stability, setting up the new green investment firm GB Energy, and cutting NHS waiting lists. The government will also be ditching the Rwanda scheme in favour of a new plan to tackle illegal immigration, as well as addressing issues such as overflowing prisons and the junior doctor strikes. The Labour government plans to redirect the scheme’s money towards a Border Security Command, although there are still questions regarding whether the Illegal Migration Act will be repealed.
On the international stage, the new Prime Minister has spoken to US President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to reassure them of the “unwavering commitment” to supplying defensive support. He also spoke to President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen to emphasize the importance of the unique relationship between the UK and EU in addressing shared challenges. Sir Keir is set to host the European Political Community summit in the UK on 18 July
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