Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to prove his doubters wrong following last week's “tough” election results.
The Prime Minister took responsibility for Labour’s losses across England, Scotland, and Wales in a speech delivered in central London on Monday.
Sir Keir said: "I get it, I feel it, and I take responsibility.
"But it’s not just about taking responsibility for the results.
"It’s about taking responsibility to explain how, as a political and electoral force, we will be better and do better in the months and years ahead."
He acknowledged that he has "doubters" to prove wrong and warned of the serious risks facing the country.
He said: "This hurts, not just because Labour has done badly, but because if we don’t get this right, our country will go down a very dark path."
The Prime Minister’s speech set out “sweeping changes” addressing what he described as the UK’s “big challenges.”
He pledged to deliver "an ambitious youth experience scheme" with the EU, allowing young people to work, study, and live in Europe as a symbol of a "stronger relationship and a fairer future with our closest allies."
Legislation will be brought forward this week to take “full national ownership of British Steel”, Sir Keir Starmer has announced.
The Prime Minister said: “In Scunthorpe, we’ve been negotiating with the current owner, and a commercial sale has not been possible, and now a public interest test could be met.
“So, I can announce that legislation will be brought forward this week to give the government powers, subject to that public interest test, to take full national ownership of British Steel.”
Addressing domestic security concerns, Starmer said he would block “far-right agitators” from coming to the UK for a march on Saturday that he said was “designed to confront and intimidate… this diverse country”.
The Prime Minister attacked “grievance politics” that he said other parties were turning to.
He said: “They want more grievance politics, more division, more pointing at Britain’s problems, looking not for solutions, but for someone to blame.
“Now that’s fine if it’s me (to blame), if it’s politicians, that’s the job, but increasingly it’s not. It’s other people in this country, and I don’t think that’s British.
“That is not the decency and respect that we are known for.
“But it’s here. That politics is with us now, and you’ll see it again on Saturday at a march designed to confront and intimidate this diversity and this diverse country.
“That is why this Labour Government will block far-right agitators from travelling to Britain for that event.”
Share