RIGHT KEIR RIGHT NOW
Starmer wins Labour leadership
NEW Labour leader Keir Starmer vowed yesterday: “The battle to win the next election begins now.”
Sir Keir, 57, told the Sunday People: “Everything we do now will be to prepare for that.
“We have to win back the trust of the country and show the British people that the Labour Party is both a force for good and a force for change.”
The former Director of Public Prosecutions took the Labour crown with 56.2 per cent of the 490,700 votes cast.
Ladbrokes immediately made him 5-2 favourite to be the next PM.
His leadership rivals Rebecca Long-bailey and Lisa Nandy polled 27.6 per cent and 16.2 per cent. Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner was elected deputy leader.
Sir Keir, who has been an MP for just five years, said: “My priorities now are to engage with the Government on coronavirus, deal with anti-semitism in the Labour Party and provide responsible opposition.”
In his acceptance speech he paid tribute to predecessor Jeremy Corbyn “who led our party through difficult times, energised our movement and who is a friend as well as a colleague”. But in a sign of battles to come between moderates and the left, Corbynsupporting Momentum said: “We’ll hold Keir to account. His mandate is to build on Jeremy’s transformative vision.”
Unite union boss and Corbyn ally Len Mccluskey urged the new leadership to stick to Labour’s radical agenda.
But the GMB’S Tim Roache said: “We need to leave behind the infighting and navel gazing and get on with being a government in waiting.” Sir Keir will form his shadow cabinet today. Sources promised that it would be “a new team for a new era”.
Rachel Reeves, shadow welfare secretary under Ed Miliband, is hotly tipped to become shadow chancellor.
Jonathan Ashworth is expected to stay as shadow health secretary. Promotions look likely for David Lammy, Carolyn Harris and Lisa Nandy.