First Minister congratulates Keir Starmer as he names front bench team
FIRST Minister and leader of Labour in Wales, Mark Drakeford, has led the country’s congratulations for Keir Starmer following his election as the new leader of the UK Labour Party.
Sir Keir won 275,780 votes out of 490,731 returned ballots – equivalent to 56.2% – ahead of Rebecca LongBailey who came second with 135,218 votes (27.6%) and Lisa Nandy was last with 79,597 (16.2%).
Mr Drakeford urged the party to unite behind the new leadership team in order to win the public’s trust and permission to govern.
Carolyn Harris, Welsh Labour Deputy Leader and Christina Rees, Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, have also welcomed his election.
Mr Drakeford said: “Keir becomes leader at a critical time for our country.
“His leadership in Parliament will be crucial in the coming months as we respond to the coronavirus outbreak and then as we seek to build the more equal and just society that must surely follow.
“When this is over there can be no going back to business as usual.
“The crisis has shown it cannot be solved by market forces but by people coming together to act in the common cause.
“The people we are relying on to save our lives are not those who take home six-figure bonuses but are some of the least well-paid in the land.”
He added: “The economy we create when coronavirus is over must deliver a fairer and more equal society, in which the rewards match the responsibilities we ask people to carry out.
“I know that in Keir, we have a UK Labour leader who will continue to stand up for Wales’ interests and support the work of the Welsh Labour Government in delivering for the people of Wales.
Carolyn Harris, Welsh Labour Deputy Leader and Swansea East MP, who served as a vice chair of the
Keir Starmer for Leader campaign, said:
“Throughout this campaign, Keir has shown the dignity, tenacity, commitment and capability that our Party, and our country, need.
“This result is hard won but richly deserved, and the margin of the victory underscores the reach and appeal of Keir’s vision across the labour movement.
“Keir himself has said that all our focus needs to remain on battling the coronavirus pandemic, and he is right to do so.
“When we overcome the challenges of today – and overcome them we will – Labour will stand united, ready under Keir’s leadership to win back the trust of communities and return the Labour Government we so desperately need.”
While Shadow Secretary of State for Wales Christina Rees MP said: “Wales and Welsh Labour has a firm supporter in Keir. I know from working alongside him in the Shadow Cabinet that he gets devolution, works closely with our Welsh Labour Government, and understands the importance of always respecting both.
“Keir’s immediate focus, like all of ours, is on tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, and he will do this with both compassion, and with his trademark forensic attention to detail. I know that he will work with the UK Government where necessary, as well as scrutinising and challenging the decisions they take.”
Sir Keir pledged to create a “balanced” shadow cabinet as announced its senior members
Former treasury minister Anneliese Dodds has been made shadow chancellor, his leadership rival Lisa Nandy has been appointed shadow foreign secretary and Nick ThomasSymonds will be shadow home secretary.
Rachel Reeves will be shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, while Jonathan Ashworth will remain shadow health secretary.
Nick Brown has been re-appointed chief whip and Angela Smith remains shadow leader of the Lords.
John McDonnell and Diane Abbott, who served under Jeremy Corbyn, are out of the shadow cabinet, but former shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry is expected to remain – albeit in a different role.
Barry Gardiner, Jon Trickett and Ian Lavery have left the Shadow Cabinet. The final appointments will be announced today.
Sir Keir said: “We are living through a national emergency. Under my leadership, the Labour Party will always act in the country’s interest to save lives and protect livelihoods. That will be the number one priority of my shadow cabinet.
“We will be a responsible opposition that supports the Government where we believe they are right and challenge them when we believe mistakes are being made.”
Earlier, he vowed to make it his “mission” to reconnect the party with the public, saying Labour needs to change so trust can be regained.
“I will have in my shadow cabinet those that want to serve towards the future aim of winning that next general election,” he told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show.
“It will be a talented, balanced shadow cabinet.”
He has vowed to engage constructively with the Government amid the coronavirus crisis, saying he will not seek to score party political points – nor demand the impossible.
On Brexit, Sir Keir said that the Government “should extend” the transition period “if it’s necessary to do so” because of the pandemic.
Angela Rayner won the deputy leadership with 52.6% of the vote in the third round, and promised to “do everything” to repay her supporters’ trust.
She acknowledged that the party had “let down” the Jewish community and also had to win back the respect of voters who had left the party to vote Tory.
Sir Keir, who entered Parliament in 2015, has said Labour will “make the argument for a better future” under his leadership – but will first need to restore people’s trust in the party as a “force for good and a force for change”.
Writing in the Sunday Times, he said: “To begin to restore that trust, I will make it my mission to reconnect Labour with the public. I want to build a coalition in all parts of the country, no matter how people previously voted.
“We must be a party of government again capable of answering to the electorate across the whole of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
“Never again can Labour be a party that millions of people feel they cannot trust to govern, to manage our economy or to keep our country safe.
“Make no mistake: our party needs to change so that trust can be regained. We must become a credible government-in-waiting and get back to a position where we can make a real difference to people’s lives. Where that requires us to rethink, we will. And where that requires us to apologise, we will.”
Sir Keir also reiterated the apology he made to the Jewish community in his acceptance speech, saying Labour has been “shamed” over the past years by anti-Semitism.
Shortly before the result was announced on Saturday morning, Boris Johnson wrote to opposition party leaders inviting them to a coronavirus briefing as he insisted “we have a duty to work together at this moment of national emergency”.
The Prime Minister congratulated Sir Keir in a call on Saturday after
noon and the pair agreed to meet to discuss the Covid-19 crisis.
Former Labour leader Mr Corbyn said he looks forward to working with Sir Keir and Ms Rayner, and told them leading the party is a “great honour and responsibility”.
Defeated leadership candidate Ms Long-Bailey said Sir Keir would be a “brilliant prime minister”, and she pledged to “do all I can to make that a reality”. Ms Nandy said he would have her “full support in the challenges that lie ahead”.