Starmer to Lead Labour in Next Elections – Fakti.bg News

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is adamant that he will be the leader of the Labor Party for the next general election in the United Kingdom, reported PA Media and DPA, quoted by BTA.

At the same time, Starmer admitted that appointing Peter Mandelson as ambassador to the US was a “mistake”.

The Prime Minister’s reputation has suffered severely in recent weeks from “controversy surrounding Mandelson’s appointment despite his relationship with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, three Downing Street resignations and calls for him to step down”.

Speaking to the Sun on Sunday from Munich, where he was attending the International Security Conference, Starmer made it clear that he was opposed to the idea of his resignation and reports of a plot in the Labor Party to remove him.

“I won the leadership of the Labor Party when people said I wouldn’t. I changed the Labor Party when people said I couldn’t. I won an election when people said we couldn’t win. And now I intend to change the country – whatever other people say,” he told The Sun.

According to him, it is “absolutely” certain that he will lead the Labor Party in the next elections.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Starmer said he “ended the week much stronger” than he started it after a period of political turbulence, PA Media noted.

Starmer briefed European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen on his intention to achieve deeper integration between Britain and the European Union.

“The prime minister outlined his high ambitions for the future partnership between the UK and the EU. He outlined his desire for further economic, defense and technological integration in the interests of greater security, stronger economic growth and a higher standard of living for the British people,” said a communique issued by the Prime Minister’s office following his talks with the EC president, which took place on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.

“There is no doubt what the national interest is and I will always fight for what is best for the United Kingdom,” Starmer stressed. The announcement noted that politicians also discussed strengthening security and steps to transition to a “more European NATO while maintaining strong transatlantic ties.”

Earlier, speaking at the conference, the British Prime Minister stated that The UK is no longer a ‘Brexit era’ country. On February 11, UK Finance Minister Rachel Reeves also defended building closer relations with the European Union. Specifically, she stated that the UK’s future is “inextricably linked to the future of Europe”, “not only for economic reasons, but also for security, sustainability and defence”.

The referendum on the UK’s exit from the EU took place on 23 June 2016. 51.9% of Britons voted to leave the EUwhile 48.1% voted against. After several years of negotiations, the UK left the bloc on the night of 1 February 2020. The post-Brexit transition period, during which all EU regulations applied to the UK, ended on 1 January 2021. In December 2020, the countries reached a post-Brexit agreement that includes an area for free trade in goods and services without quotas or tariffs and visa-free travel for British citizens to and from the EU for up to 90 days.