Keir Starmer becomes leader of U.K.'s main ...

Starmer said he would not engage in "opposition for opposition's sake" but would criticize the government when necessary. IE11isnotsupported.Foranoptimalexperiencevisitoursiteonanotherbrowser.SKIPTOCONTENTPoliticsCovid-19U.S.NewsWorldOpinionBusinessSharethis —SearchFacebookTwitterEmailSMSPrintWhatsappRedditPocketFlipboardPinterestLinkedinManageProfileEmailPreferencesSignOutApril4,2020,1:03PMUTCByAssociatedPressLawyerandlawmakerKeirStarmerwaselectedleaderofBritain'smainoppositionLabourPartyonSaturdaybyadecisivemargin,afteracontestthrownintoturmoilbythecoronavirusoutbreak.Aspecialconferencetoannouncethewinnerwasscrappedwhenthenationwentintolockdown,andthenewscameinapressreleaseaccompaniedbyapre-recordedacceptancespeech.Starmer,57,comesfromLabour'scenter-leftwing,andhiselectionmarksashiftfromthemorestronglysocialistcoursesetbyhispredecessor,JeremyCorbyn.Starmeracknowledgedthathewasbecomingleaderoftheopposition"atamomentlikenoneotherinourlifetime"andpromisedto"engageconstructively"withtheConservativegovernmenttofightthecoronaviruspandemic.It’sthehonourandprivilegeofmylifetobeelectedasLeaderoftheLabourParty.Iwillleadthisgreatpartyintoanewera,withconfidenceandhope,sothatwhenthetimecomes,wecanserveourcountryagain–ingovernment.pic.twitter.com/F4X088FTYY—KeirStarmer(@Keir_Starmer)April4,2020ThepartysaidStarmerwononthefirstroundofvotingwith56.2percentofallthevotescast,wellaheadofrivalsRebeccaLong-BaileyandLisaNandy.AngelaRaynerwaschosenasdeputyleaderinavoteofLabour'shalfamillionmembers.AformerU.K.chiefprosecutornamedafterLabourPartyco-founderKeirHardie,StarmerfacesthechallengeofreunitingapartydeeplydividedoverthepoliciesandlegacyofCorbyn,Theoutgoingleaderwaselectedpartychiefin2015onawaveofgrassrootsenthusiasm,andtookLaboursharplytotheleft,proposingthenationalizationofmajorindustriesandahugeincreaseinpublicspending.Corbynalsofacedallegationsthathehadallowedanti-Semitismtofesterintheparty.HeisalongtimesupporterofthePalestiniansandcriticofIsrael.Starmersaid"anti-Semitismhasbeenastainonourparty.""OnbehalfoftheLabourParty,Iamsorry,andIwilltearoutthispoisonbyitsroots,"hesaid.Corbyndrewthousandsofnewactiviststotheparty,butlosttwosuccessiveelectionsin2017and2019.InDecember'selection,Laboursuffereditsworstresultsince1935,astheConservativeswoninworking-classareasthathadvotedLabourfordecades.LabourhasnowbeenoutofofficeforadecadethathasbroughtthecountrythreeConservativeprimeministers-DavidCameron,TheresaMayandBorisJohnson.Starmersaidthepartyhad"amountaintoclimb"beforeitcouldreturntogovernment.HiselectionwaswelcomedbyLabourmoderatessuchasLondonMayorSadiqKhan,whosaidhewas"delighted."ButtheCorbyn-supportinggrassrootsgroupMomentumsaiditwouldholdStarmertoaccount.Itsaid"hismandateistobuildonJeremy'stransformativevision."Starmerhasbeentheparty'sspokesmanonBrexit,theissuethathasconsumedBritishpoliticsforfouryears.Butthecountry'sdeparturefromtheEuropeanUnion,whichbecameofficialJan.31,hasbeenpushedintothebackgroundbythecoronaviruspandemicsweepingtheglobe.Starmerfacesadelicatechallenge:Howtoholdthegovernmenttoaccountduringanationalemergencywhilealsosupportingthefightagainstthevirus.JohnsonannouncedSaturdaythathewasinvitingleadersofoppositionpartiestoabriefingwithhimandthegovernment'stopmedicalandscientificadvisersonthefightagainstCOVID-19."Aspartyleaders,wehaveadutytoworktogetheratthistimeofnationalemergency,"Johnsonwrote.Starmersaidhewouldnotengagein"oppositionforopposition'ssake"butwouldcriticizethegovernmentwhennecessary."Wewillshineatorchoncriticalissuesandwhereweseemistakesorfalteringgovernmentorthingsnothappeningasquicklyastheyshouldwe'llchallengethatandcallthatout,"hesaid.AssociatedPress