UK Labour leader Starmer woos undecided voters with a vow to safeguard national security

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LONDON, May 27, (AP): British opposition leader Keir Starmer made his first major speech of the UK election campaign Monday, telling undecided voters that they can trust his Labour Party to safeguard the country’s economy, borders and security.
Starmer is the favorite to win the July 4 election, with polls giving Labour a double-digit lead over the governing Conservatives under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
But many electors remain undecided, and Starmer sought to address a perception that the left-of-center Labour Party is weaker on defense and security than the center-right Conservatives.
“The very foundation of any good government is economic security, border security, national security,” Starmer said during a speech in the seaside town of Lancing on England’s south coast. “This is the foundation, the bedrock that our manifesto and our first steps, will be built upon.”
Starmer accused the Conservatives of presiding over “desperate chaos.” Britain’s first election since 2019 follows several turbulent years that saw a global pandemic and a cost-of-living crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Those international crises were exacerbated by problems of the Conservatives’ own making: a slew of ethics scandals that topped Prime Minister Boris Johnson in 2022, and the disastrous economic policies of his successor Liz Truss, who lasted only 49 days in office.
Sunak had until December to call an election and took most people – including those in his own party – by surprise when he announced last week that the vote would be held on July 4. Voters will elect lawmakers to fill all 650 seats in the House of Commons. The leader of the party that can command a Commons majority – either alone or in coalition – will become prime minister.

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