Britain's new Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged on Friday (July 5) to use his massive electoral majority to rebuild the country, saying he wanted to take the heat out of politics after years of upheaval and strife.
Standing outside his new office and residence at Number 10 Downing Street, Starmer vowed to fight every day to rebuild trust, saying Britain would have a "government unburdened by doctrine", underlining something he had repeated during the campaign - that he would put country first, party second.
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Standing outside his new office and residence at Number 10 Downing Street, Starmer vowed to fight every day to rebuild trust, saying Britain would have a "government unburdened by doctrine", underlining something he had repeated during the campaign - that he would put country first, party second.
Read more at https://tinyurl.com/mry7ej9f
WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news
SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar
LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good afternoon. I have just returned from Buckingham Palace where I accepted an invitation
00:23from His Majesty the King to form the next government of this great nation.
00:36I want to thank the outgoing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. His achievement as the first
00:43British Asian Prime Minister of our country, the extra effort that that will have required
00:51should not be underestimated by anyone and we pay tribute to that today. And we also
01:00recognise the dedication and hard work he brought to his leadership. But now our country
01:08has voted decisively for change, for national renewal and a return of politics to public
01:18service. When the gap between the sacrifices made by people and the service they receive
01:27from politicians grows this big it leads to a weariness in the heart of a nation, a draining
01:36away of the hope, the spirit, the belief in a better future, that we need to move forward
01:47together. Now this wound, this lack of trust can only be healed by actions, not words.
02:00I know that. But we can make a start today with the simple acknowledgement that public
02:08service is a privilege and that your government should treat every single person in this country
02:18with respect. If you voted Labour yesterday we will carry the responsibility of your trust
02:27as we rebuild our country. But whether you voted Labour or not, in fact especially if
02:36you did not, I say to you directly my government will serve you. Politics can be a force for
02:47good. We will show that. We've changed the Labour Party, returned it to service and that
02:55is how we will govern. Country first, party second. Yet if I'm honest, service is merely
03:05a precondition of hope and it is surely clear to everyone that our country needs a bigger
03:13reset, a rediscovery of who we are because no matter how fierce the storms of history,
03:21one of the great strengths of this nation has always been our ability to navigate a
03:27way to calmer waters. And yet this depends upon politicians, particularly those who
03:35stand for stability and moderation, as I do. Recognising when we must change course, for
03:45too long now we've turned a blind eye as millions slid into greater insecurity. Nurses,
03:52builders, drivers, carers, people doing the right thing, working harder every day. Recognised
04:00at moments like this before, yet as soon as the cameras stop rolling their lives are ignored.
04:11I want to say very clearly to those people, not this time. Changing a country is not like
04:19flicking a switch. The world is now a more volatile place. This will take a while. But
04:27have no doubt that the work of change begins immediately. Have no doubt that we will rebuild
04:36Britain with wealth created in every community, our NHS back on its feet facing the future,
04:43secure borders, safer streets, everyone treated with dignity and respect at work, the opportunity
04:52of clean British power cutting your energy bills for good. And brick by brick we will
05:00rebuild the infrastructure of opportunity, the world class schools and colleges, the
05:07affordable homes that I know are the ingredients of hope for working people, the security that
05:15working class families like mine can build their lives around. Because if I asked you
05:23now whether you believe that Britain will be better for your children, I know too many
05:34of you would say no. And so my government will fight every day until you believe again.
05:43From now on you have a government unburdened by doctrine, guided only by the determination
05:50to serve your interest, to defy quietly those who have written our country off. You have
05:59given us a clear mandate and we will use it to deliver change, to restore service and
06:06respect to politics, end the era of noisy performance, tread more lightly on your lives
06:14and unite our country. Four nations standing together again, facing down as we have so
06:23often in our past the challenges of an insecure world, committed to a calm and patient rebuilding.
06:34So with respect and humility I invite you all to join this government of service in
06:45the mission of national renewal. Our work is urgent and we begin it today. Thank you very much.