JULY 05, 2024

Readout of President Joe Biden’s Call with Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom

 

STATEMENTS AND RELEASE

 

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom to congratulate him on his appointment as Prime Minister. The leaders reaffirmed the special relationship between our nations and the importance of working together in support of freedom and democracy around the world. The President conveyed that he is looking forward to working closely with Prime Minister Starmer on the full range of critical issues that affect our countries and committed to deepening U.S.-UK cooperation in the many areas of our shared interest.  They reiterated their continued support for Ukraine as it fights Russia’s unrelenting aggression. They affirmed their shared commitment to protecting the gains of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and working with the leaders of Northern Ireland to create and sustain economic growth and opportunities. The President looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister Starmer to the Washington Summit next week to celebrate NATO’s 75th anniversary.

 

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Footage released by Buckingham Palace shows the moment King Charles received Keir Starmer at Buckingham Palace after Labour's landslide election victory. The king had to formally ask Starmer to form a new government before he could be appointed as the new prime minister

 

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Sir Keir Starmer has officially become UK prime minister following an audience with King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in London.

 

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In July 2024, Sir Keir Rodney Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory at the 2024 general election, ending fourteen years of Conservative government with Labour becoming the largest party in the House of Commons.  He succeeded Prime Minister Rishi Sunak  on 5 July 2024, becoming the first Labour prime minister since PM Gordon Brown in 2010 and the first one to win a general election since PM Tony Blair at the 2005 general election.

 

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer KCB KC was born  on 2 September 1962 in London and raised in Surrey.  He is a British politician and barrister who has served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024, as Leader of the Labour Party since 2020, and previously served as Leader of the Opposition from 2020 to 2024. He has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras since 2015, and previously was Director of Public Prosecutions from 2008 to 2013. Starmer ideologically identifies as progressive and as a centrist.

 

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer attended the selective state Reigate Grammar School, which became a private school while he was a student. He was politically active from an early age and joined the Labour Party Young Socialists at the age of 16. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leeds in 1985 and gained a postgraduate Bachelor of Civil Law degree at St Edmund Hall at the University of Oxford in 1986. After being called to the bar, Starmer practised predominantly in criminal defence work, specialising in human rights. He served as a human rights adviser to the Northern Ireland Policing Board and was appointed a Queen's Counsel in 2002; his Northern Ireland policing work influencing his decision to pursue a political career. During his time as Director of Public Prosecutions, he dealt with a number of major cases including the Stephen Lawrence murder case. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to law and criminal justice.

 

Sir Keir Rodney Starmer  was elected to the House of Commons at the 2015 general election. As a backbencher, he supported the unsuccessful Britain Stronger in Europe campaign in the 2016 European Union membership referendum. He was appointed to Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, and advocated a proposed second referendum on Brexit. Following Corbyn's resignation after Labour's defeat at the 2019 general election, Starmer succeeded him by winning the 2020 leadership election on a left-wing platform. During his tenure as opposition leader, Starmer moved the party back more toward the centre, and emphasised the importance of eliminating antisemitism within the party. He led Labour to victory in the local elections in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, Starmer set out five missions for his government, targeting issues such as economic growth, health, clean energy, crime and education. In July 2024, he led Labour to a landslide victory at the 2024 general election, ending fourteen years of Conservative government with Labour becoming the largest party in the House of Commons.  

Sources: White House, Youtube, wikipedia, The Guardian, BBC, First Point, CNN, LiveFox News
July 6th, 2024