Keir Starmer chairs first Cabinet as UK prime minister

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - LONDON — Sir Keir Starmer's government has begun its first full day in power following a landslide victory that ended 14 years of Conservative rule.

From inside 10 Downing Street on Saturday morning, Sir Keir welcomed his new top team, stating, "We have a huge amount of work to do, so now we get on with our work."

In his first speech as prime minister, he pledged to start work "immediately" to "rebuild Britain." A news conference outlining the PM's priorities is expected later, and a slew of junior ministers will also be appointed over the weekend, now that the biggest jobs have been allocated.

A key focus will be the NHS, which Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting has declared is "broken." In his first statement in the role, he said patients were "being failed on a daily basis."

The Cabinet, which was announced on Friday, saw the first female Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, appointed, alongside Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Although less ethnically diverse than the previous Tory top table, the Cabinet is roughly reflective of the UK as a whole, with 12% minority ethnic members including Lammy.

The inner circle contains 50% women, headed up by Reeves and Deputy PM and Levelling Up Secretary Angela Rayner.

This meeting is expected to focus on economic stability, setting up the new green investment firm GB Energy, and cutting NHS waiting lists. Ditching the Rwanda scheme in favor of a new plan to tackle illegal immigration will also be on the agenda, as well as overflowing prisons and the junior doctor strikes.

A flight to Rwanda was scheduled for later this month, but Labour wants to redirect the scheme's money towards a Border Security Command, although questions still remain over whether the Illegal Migration Act will be repealed.

Streeting, arriving for the meeting at 10 Downing Street, told reporters assembled in the street, "We're getting straight to work," as he walked in, closely followed by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the new government had "a lot to get on with."

Rochdale's new Labour MP, Paul Waugh, told BBC Breakfast there would be an urgency to the new administration because "what matters is that we deliver," particularly on the NHS.

Sir Keir turned his sights from the UK campaign trail to the international stage, speaking to world leaders in a string of calls, as he started preparations for a NATO summit next week. He discussed global challenges, including climate change and economic growth, with prime ministers in India, Japan, and Australia on Saturday morning.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the call with Indian PM Narendra Modi focused on defense, emerging technology, and the possibility of concluding a Free Trade Agreement. Speaking to the Japanese PM, Fumio Kishida, Sir Keir discussed conflict in the Middle East and Ukraine, while with the Australian PM Anthony Albanese, Sir Keir said he hoped to build on the partnership between the UK, Australia, and the US, as well as the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Samoa later this year.

On Friday, US President Joe Biden congratulated Sir Keir, and the pair discussed their commitment to the special relationship between the UK and US, protecting the gains of the Good Friday Agreement, and support for Ukraine. Sir Keir spoke to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and reassured him of the "unwavering commitment" to supplying defensive support.

A call to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen "emphasised the importance of the unique relationship between the UK and EU" in addressing shared "challenges," his office said, including climate change and regional security.

Sir Keir is also due to host the European Political Community summit in the UK on 18 July. — BBC