The crowds erupted with joy when Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria got out of their car on Downing Street. Onlookers waved small Union Jacks, as Labour supporters did for Tony Blair in 1997. The rain had stopped and the sun shone. Starmer slowly progressed down the line of supporters, thanking them for their hard work before he approached the lectern in front of the shining black door to deliver his first speech as Prime Minister.
He was not triumphant. He thanked his successor, Rishi Sunak, for his service. His aim was to recognise the deep disaffection across the country which had been exposed by Reform’s surge and the large number of people who chose not to vote. “This wound, this lack of trust,” Starmer said, can only be remedied through national renewal, through rebuilding the link between elections and politicians’ actions. He promised a “return to a politics of public service”, to respect everyone in the country whether they voted Labour or not. The Prime Minister lowered expectations but said “brick by brick” Labour would rebuild the country.
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