Analysing Keir Starmer's PM Acceptance Speech
| Updated:
The News Agents discuss Keir Starmer's first speech as Prime Minister and what we might expect in a post-election United Kingdom.
Listen to this article
It's been a busy twenty-four hours in UK politics, but The News Agents are back in the studio after watching Starmer's speech. So, what did they say?
Jon Sopel kicks off the discussion: "He is making it very clear that the work starts right now. And you can only imagine the dizzying array of briefings and documents and everything else that have been passed under his eyes right now."
Keir Starmer's first speech as PM in full
Lewis Goodhall adds that, like Tony Blair's own speech in 1997,' Starmer spoke to a crowd "filled full of labour party workers" waving not just union jacks, but also Scottish and Welsh flags as well - a move, he thought was "very deliberate."
He continues: "It was easily the best choreographed entrance into Downing Street of any Prime Minister for a long time"
"But also you could see it in his face - for a man who is not terribly emotive, and doesn't often show much of himself - you could see he and his wife Victoria, look genuinely joyous. The Labour Party very seldom looks happy about anything, but they looked happy today", he says.
"Stability, Stability, Stability?"
Jon notes two key themes in the speech that could become leading themes in Starmer's overall premiership - firstly, a focus on "service", another on "stability and moderation."
Lewis agrees: "He's used this theme before about having a sort of less noisy politics or politics that intrudes less on your life."
In a world, some might argue, that has become increasingly unstable, and therefore does intrude on people's lives, Starmer wants to emphasise that he is "the guy that can actually deliver stability."
The worst Tory defeat in history
A New Dawn?
Jon felt that Starmer's speech was quite different to Blair's in 1997.
He says: "I think that it was more "serious workman" - let's roll up our sleeves, we've got to get started now. The country's fractured and I am going to try my best to bring it together."
But Sopel also says he will be fascinated to see if Starmer and his team produce a "rabbit out of the hat" moment like Blair, to advance economic growth. Will Rachel Reeves introduce a measure as impactful as Blair granting the Bank of England operational independence as soon as he took office?
We shall have to wait and see.
"Politics has been deeply unstable for over a decade."
— The News Agents (@TheNewsAgents) July 5, 2024
Is King Charles relieved to have a Labour government? 👑@maitlis | @jonsopel | @lewis_goodall pic.twitter.com/gYPECNNzq1
