Starmer buys more time with pledge to ‘prove doubters wrong’

London: British PM Keir Starmer on Monday bought some more time at 10 Downing Street with a pledge to prove the “doubters” in his own party wrong and battle on for the soul of Britain.

In a make-or-break speech to save his leadership after a disastrous local election performance by the governing Labour Party last week, Starmer eemphasised he would not walk away and plunge the country into chaos as the Opposition Conservati­ves did in the past.

He warned that the UK was facing “dangerous times and very dangerous opponents” and committed to doing better in the “months and years ahead”. ‘I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I’ve got some doubters, including in my own party — and I’m not going to shy away from the fact that I have to prove them wrong, and I will,” said Starmer. “I take responsibility for not walking away, not plunging the country into chaos as the Tories did time and time again. “Chaos that did lasting damage to this country. A Labour government would never be forgiven for inflicting that on our country again,” he said.

Referencing the sweep in last Thursday’s polls by the far-right anti-immigration Reform UK, Starmer labelled its leader Nigel Farage as “not just a grifter, but a chanc­er” who had plunged the country into Brexit chaos with false promises. “We are not just facing dangerous times. But dangerous opponents, very dangerous opponents. If we don’t get this right, our country will go down a very dark path,” he cautioned.

Meanwhile, several Labour MPs intensified pressure on Sir Starmer to go following his speech, which critics within the party described as divisive and politically damaging. MPs including Catherine West, Debbie Abrahams and Josh Simons reportedly raised concerns over the party’s direction and electoral strategy. 

Former Indo-Pacific minister Catherine West has now put the UK PM on notice until September. “I am hereby giving notice to No 10 (Downing Street) I am collecting names of Labour MPs to call on the PM to set a timetable for the election of a new leader in September,” said the backbench Labour MP. 

However, Starmer’s allies defended the speech, saying it addressed national issues candidly amid growing political challenges. Starmer’s former dy Angela Rayner, one of the potential contenders for his job, delivered her own key speech at the Communica­tions Workers Union conference soon after the Labour leader’s reset pitch. –Agencies