British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, faced with maneuvers to replace him at Downing Street, was combative on Wednesday in Parliament after the traditional speech from the throne delivered by King Charles III.
A flagship event in British political life, this intervention by the monarch marks the opening of a new parliamentary session and Charles III listed the legislative priorities of the Labor government.
While one of his main rivals, Health Minister Wes Streeting, could launch the race for succession on Thursday, Keir Starmer once again displayed his determination during the debate which followed in the House of Commons.
The speech from the throne defined “a more hopeful path”, argued the head of government. Referring to the “challenges” his government faces, he assured that he “will not renounce (his) Labor values”, castigating those in the opposition who defend “a policy of resentment and division”.
He promised that he would “keep his promises on economic security”, faced with the consequences of the war in the Middle East, and that he would “go further” on immigration or to improve the public health service, two of the main concerns of the British.
The day before he had assured that he wanted to “continue to govern”.
According to the daily The Times and other media, citing allies of Wes Streeting, he plans to resign on Thursday to launch the race to succeed Mr. Starmer.
The head of government received the minister in the morning at Downing Street. The meeting lasted less than 20 minutes and Wes Streeting left without commenting.
– “Loss of authority” –
The speech from the throne, a sumptuous ceremony marked by immutable rituals, took place after several chaotic days for Keir Starmer, called for resignation by 86 Labor MPs – out of a total of 403 -, following local elections with results disastrous in Great Britain last week and many controversies.
Four secretaries of state left office Tuesday in a sign of defiance.
Another hard blow for the Prime Minister: the unions affiliated to the Labor Party withdrew their support. “Labor cannot continue on this path,” they explained on X. “We will have to put in place a plan for the election of a new leader.”
“It is obvious that (the Prime Minister) has lost his authority and that he will not be able to achieve the few things contained in the king’s speech,” launched the leader of the conservative opposition Kemi Badenoch, in the House of Commons.
More than 110 Labor MPs have given their support to Keir Starmer in a letter, saying that “this is not the time to initiate proceedings to challenge the leadership” of the party.
– “Dangerous world” –
“An increasingly dangerous and unstable world threatens the United Kingdom, the conflict in the Middle East being only the most recent example,” Charles III underlined in the speech from the throne, written by the government.
Dressed in formal attire, he spoke seated on a golden throne in the House of Lords, the upper house of Parliament, alongside his wife Camilla.
More than 35 texts were presented, on subjects as varied as the nationalization of the steelmaker British Steel, green energies or a rapprochement with the European Union.
Other planned measures include lowering the voting age to 16 and reforming the asylum system at a time when the total number of migrants who have crossed the Channel on makeshift boats has just exceeded 200,000 since counting began in 2018.
But almost all of these measures had already been the subject of government announcements.
publié le 13 mai à 18h42, AFP
