MANCHESTER: Big favorite in the legislative elections in the United Kingdom, Labor leader Keir Starmer assured Thursday that he wanted to bring back “stability” after the turbulence of 14 years of conservative power, with a program focused on economic growth and assumed prudence.
“Today we can lay the foundations of stability again and build on them to rebuild Britain,” said the Labor leader, a 61-year-old former lawyer.
Three weeks before the vote, Labor’s more than 20 point lead over the Conservatives in the polls seems to open a path to winning a comfortable majority on July 4 in the House of Commons, and making Keir Starmer the next Prime Minister.
The party therefore seeks to avoid any missteps. This was confirmed in the presentation in Manchester, in the north of England, of its official program, without surprises or new proposals, and confirming its refocusing.
From the start of his intervention, Keir Starmer had the opportunity to emphasize the transformation carried out since he took over in 2020 from the very left-wing Jeremy Corbyn: challenged by a demonstrator – quickly evacuated – accusing him of proposing a policy too close to the Conservatives, he replied that Labor had “ceased to be a party of protest” to become a “party of government”.
“The Labor Party has a growth project. We are pro-business, pro-worker, the party of wealth creation,” he insisted.
“I make no apologies for being careful with workers’ money,” he said, before once again defending himself from wanting to increase taxes on the British, as the Conservatives constantly accuse.
“If you think they are going to win, start saving,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joked about X, who promised him billions in tax cuts on Tuesday.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank has stressed that “real change will almost certainly require more resources”, and Labour’s program makes no mention of “where the money would come from”.
Keir Starmer, for his part, castigated the “chaos” left by the Tories in power since 2010, a period marked by great political and economic instability: Brexit, incessant waltz of ministers, near financial crisis under the mandate of the former Prime Minister Liz Truss and the surge in inflation which has weighed down households and businesses.
“The challenges won’t go away overnight. If Labor wins, we won’t have a magic wand. But what we have, what this program represents, is a credible long-term plan,” he said. he warned.
“Serious project”
In detail, Labor wants to create a fund dedicated to investments in the industries of the future, a company responsible for financing the transition to green energies and facilitating the construction of infrastructure.
His program also includes the promise of unblocking tens of thousands of appointments in the public health service (NHS), an institution beloved by the British but at the end of its tether, and thus reducing endless queues.
Labor also wants to hire 6,500 teachers and restore VAT for private schools.
On immigration, he wants to abandon the Conservative government’s controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda but wants, like the current majority, to reduce the number of arrivals in the United Kingdom.
The party intends to reaffirm British support for Ukraine in the face of Russia and aims for recognition of the Palestinian state as part of a peace process. He wants to get closer to the European Union without rejoining it.
The center-left party has, until now, mainly benefited from voters’ distrust of Rishi Sunak’s conservatives. And to establish an image as a credible government party, he refrained from any promises that were too risky – even if it meant lacking audacity in the eyes of certain observers.
“This is a serious project for the future of our country, and every policy in this document has been carefully considered so that we are sure we can implement it,” argued Keir Starmer. “I am a candidate to be Prime Minister, not director of a circus.”
