Keir Starmer’s speech in Downing Street lasted only about six minutes, but contained a variety of different elements. Here is what he said – and, just as importantly, why he said it. 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 will have required should not be underestimated by anyone. Being magnanimous to opponents is generally easier when they have just lost badly, but this was a generous first line and set in train a wider theme of the speech in which the new prime minister presented himself as a unifier. It is also an acknowledgment of Sunak’s place in British history beyond his actions in office and last night’s result. 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. Winning nearly two-thirds of all Commons seats with little more than a third of the votes cast is a quirk of the UK electoral system, but it can be a dangerous one. Starmer knows he must take some opponents among the public with him, and quickly. One of the great strengths of this nation has always been our ability to navigate a way to calmer waters. And yet this depends upon politicians, particularly those who stand for stability and moderation, as I do. “Stability and moderation” might not be the most pulse-quickening of political slogans, but Labour understand that after 14 years of regular drama under the Conservatives, this might be what many voters desire. This was a theme reiterated several times in the speech. We’ve turned a blind eye as millions slid into greater insecurity … recognised at moments like this before yet, as soon as the cameras stopped rolling, their lives are ignored. I want to say very clearly to those people: not this time.
This, in its brief, almost elegiac way, was Labour’s retail offer on the cost of living. Very many people are struggling even when they have work, and feel neglected. Starmer wants to tell them they will be listened to. This will be appreciated – but only if it is followed by tangible results. Changing a country is not like flicking a switch. The world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while. But I have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately. After the promise, the warning, as seen routinely through Labour’s election campaign. Undoing 14 years of austerity and flatlining incomes while keeping to the same fiscal paradigm as the Conservatives will be difficult, and Starmer has repeatedly warned results will not be immediate. 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. Yet another utterly central message, acknowledging the sense of many voters that both economically and in terms of opportunities for the future, the UK feels a grimmer, less hopeful place than a decade or so ago. Labour’s offer to the voters was to change this. Yet again, the rhetoric will need to be backed up with action, and soon. 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. 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. Perhaps the most resonant and memorable lines of the speech, these are a direct reference to the past 14 years of Conservative rule, marked by Brexit ructions, culture wars and five prime ministers. Labour believe most voters are tired of the drama, and want a government that will simply get on with the job of improving their lives. The election result suggests they were right.