What Starmer expects in his first 100 days in office
After the landslide victory of Labour in the British Parliamentary election, Starmer becomes new Prime Minister. In the first days of his tenure, the 61-year-old will have a full calendar. Here's an overview:
The first hours
After an audience with King Charles III. at Buckingham Palace on Friday, Starmer will proceed to Downing Street Number 10, where he will give a speech. Following this, he will meet and greet his staff behind the famous black door, before inviting Labour politicians who will be part of his first government. The most important ministers will then be announced. Their names are already known: they were part of the Shadow Cabinet of the opposition.
NATO Summit
On Tuesday, Starmer makes his debut on the international stage in Washington at a NATO summit. This could be an opportunity for him to speak with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Joe Biden. Labour has declared that it intends to maintain British support for Ukraine, which has been attacked by Russia, and increase military spending.
On 18 July, Starmer will welcome the leaders of European states in England at the Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, for a meeting of the European Political Community. This was founded in 2022 with the aim of strengthening cohesion, cooperation, and dialogue between the countries of the continent. Starmer will have the opportunity to elaborate on his announcement of improving post-Brexit agreements with the EU in detail - without joining it. He could also discuss illegal immigration control, a key Labour politician issue.
Parliament
MPs will be sworn in on 9 July, followed by the official opening of Parliament on 17 July with the Queen's Speech. Although the speech is delivered by the monarch, it is drafted by the government. This is an opportunity for the new governing party to present its priorities in Westminster. The first "PMQs", the Prime Minister's question time, will take place on 24 July. According to the "Times", this session will last until 31 July, followed by the summer recess until early September.
Focus areas
Starmer has announced that he will immediately abandon the most controversial project of Rishi Sunak, which involves sending illegally entered people to Rwanda. He also announced that he intends to change the United Kingdom, which has been shaped in part by 14 years of Tory governments, marked by Brexit and austerity measures. The 61-year-old has three priorities: economic stability, reducing healthcare waiting lists, and strengthening border control. A project Starmer intends to take over from Sunak: gradually making the country tobacco-free. This would involve gradually banning the sale of cigarettes.
In the aftermath of the British House of Commons election, the Conservative Party suffered a significant defeat, leading to Rishi Sunak's exit as Prime Minister. The new Conservative Party leader, who will be announced soon, will face challenges in navigating Politics in Great Britain.
During his tenure, Rishi Sunak had proposed a controversial plan to send illegally entered individuals to Rwanda. Should the Labor Party maintain power, as suggested by Starmer's victory, this plan may not be implemented, aligning with Starmer's priority of reducing controversial projects.
Following his landslide victory, Starmer is expected to attend the Nato Summit in Washington, offering an opportunity toaffirm Great Britain's support for Nato members such as Ukraine and to reiterate Labour's stance on military spending.
