Keir Starmer succeeds Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour Party
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will take on the first secretary of state, Dominic Raab, in the first round of PMQs since Easter. Picture: Jane Barlow/PA. - Credit: PA
Sir Keir Starmer, MP for Holborn and St Pancras, has been elected by Labour members as the party’s new leader.
The human rights lawyer defeated rivals Rebecca Long-Bailey and Lisa Nandy after the first round of voting.
It marks a significant change of direction for the party, with a move away from the politics of Jeremy Corbyn and Ed Miliband who led Labour over the last decade.
Mr Starmer entered Parliament in 2015 as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras, the constituency that includes Camden Town, Kentish Town and Gospel Oak.
He tweeted: “It’s the honour and privilege of my life to be elected as leader of the Labour Party.
“I will lead this great party into a new era, with confidence and hope, so that when the time comes, we can serve our country again - in government.”
Angela Rayner won the deputy leadership race, beating Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, Richard Burgon, Dawn Butler and Ian Murray.
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“This is an unprecedented time and our country faces extraordinary challenges. We are fighting with all we have to slow the spread of this virus, but it’s already clear that we will be dealing with social and economic consequences of Covid-19 for many years to come. The United Kingdom will, frankly, never be the same again.
“That just makes it all the more vital that Labour does its job by effectively holding the Government to account - and by making the changes clearly necessary to put ourselves back on the path to forming a Labour Government again.
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“Keir and Angela are best suited to the scale of this challenge and I look forward to working closely with them and their new team to make it happen.”
