Keir Starmer’s first weekend in power - podcast
Keir Starmer vowed to put the country before his party as he appointed his cabinet and toured the four countries of the UK. Jonathan Freedland reports on what we have learned from the new prime minister’s first days in office
Keir Starmer wasted no time in appointing a cabinet with few surprises as he set about drawing clear lines between his new government and the outgoing one. He said he was determined to “end the era of noisy performance. Tread more lightly on your lives. And unite our country.”
As the columnist Jonathan Freedland tells Helen Pidd, his victory with a huge majority gives him a mandate for change but should not be read as a huge surge of enthusiasm for the Labour party. That must now be earned by effective administration and a focus on competence.
To that end, Starmer has looked to appoint figures with expertise from outside politics to key government roles, and has embarked on a tour of the UK to meet political leaders across the four countries.
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