Sir Keir Starmer has attempted to save his premiership with a rallying, make-or-break speech at Downing Street. The speech, delivered at 10am, came after a disastrous night for the Labour Party at the local elections.
Unfortunately for the Prime Minister, Labour MP Catherine West responded by calling on Starmer to set a departure timetable. In a statement, she described the speech as "too little too late." There are now 36 MPs calling for him to go. "I am hereby giving notice to No10 that I am collecting names of Labour MPs to call on the Prime Minister to set a timetable for the election of a new leader in September," she added.
This follows West issuing an ultimatum to Starmer's cabinet: either they launch a bid to challenge his leadership, or she will do it herself. Starmer used his speech to lay out a new vision, including closer ties to the EU and nationalising British Steel. He also issued thinly-veiled warnings to his opponents and those backing Reform and the Green Party.
Key Points from the Speech
"On a personal level, I've worked very closely with Andy in our respective roles"
Regarding Andy Burnham, Sky News reporter Sam Coates noted a "very striking answer" when Starmer said it was a matter for Labour's ruling body, the National Executive Committee, whether Burnham could stand as an MP, whereas previously Starmer blocked him. Coates added: "I think that just gives a little bit of room, a little bit of wiggle room for those who want to get rid of Keir Starmer but want to wait to have the contest until Andy Burnham is back in. You know, Keir Starmer is almost giving a wink and a nod. Maybe that's a possibility."
"I'm not going to walk away"
Starmer made it clear he will fight any challenge to his job and is not contemplating resigning. However, Sky's Beth Rigby reported that Labour MPs messaged her during the speech, with one sarcastically saying: "Nothing says 'I get it and I feel it' like reading an autocue about what your feelings are." Another texted: "This is vague and meaningless, nowhere good enough."
"Change cannot come quickly enough"
Labour MPs wanted something new and substantial to back up Starmer's proclaimed change in direction, but there was none. Sky News political editor Beth Rigby explained: "He was clearly saying to his party: 'I have heard you, I appreciate I can't govern by spreadsheets and evidence - that I need to tell a personal story and talk about emotion.'" Rigby said the applause produced "quite an electrifying moment." She added: "I think he knew what he wanted to do and what he needed to do in terms of trying to inject a bit of passion into the job. But look, I think on the substance of it, there wasn't really much in it. It was quite thin gruel." Peter Walker from the Guardian added: "Yes, there was a lot of passion, and a lot of talk about fighting on. But the only policy offerings were either not new or already effectively the case."
"If we don't get this right, our country will go down a very dark path"
A warning shot for Reform voters, Starmer described Nigel Farage as a "grifter" and "chancer." He said: "I need to take a bit of a detour on this because I want to remind you what Nigel Farage said about Brexit. He said it would make us richer. Wrong. It made us poorer. He said it would reduce migration. Wrong. Migration went through the roof. He said it would make us more secure. Wrong again. It made us weaker. He took Britain for a ride and, unlike the Tories who actually at least have to face up to it, he just fled the scene and now he'll talk about almost anything other than the consequences of the one policy he actually delivered. Because he's not just a grifter, he is a chancer."
"People need hope"
Starmer attempted to give a raucous rallying cry, and it worked for some. Preet Kaur Gill, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, told Sky News it was a "great speech." She said: "People are fed up with politics that talks big and changes nothing. The prime minister's message today was simple: this government gets it, we know people expect better, and we're focused on delivering real change that people can actually feel in their daily lives." Starmer's speech has been credited as one of the most passionate he has ever given, perhaps a sign of a new style of politics.
"What I want to do is take a big leap forward with the EU-UK summit this year"
Starmer promised a "youth experience scheme will be at the heart of our new arrangement with the EU." Rebuilding the UK's relationship with the EU is what the Labour government will be defined by, he said, adding that at the next EU summit the UK will set a "new direction for Britain" in "the heart of Europe." But the BBC's Iain Watson said: "This was billed as a make-or-break moment. But for some MPs their mind was made up, and the PM didn't change it. One critic told me: 'No-one has come close to where he is now (in the polls) and come back. He is just wasting our time.' Another pointed out that even his big offer to the party and country - nationalising British Steel - was caveated 'subject to a public interest test.' A senior Labour figure who has been close to Keir Starmer pointed out there was 'no substance on the cost of living,' no 'pound in your pocket answers,' and 'nothing substantive on immigration and defence.'"
