Lab SP: 10 Downing Street

[Anthony Clarke]

The Prime Minister arrives at 10 Downing Street to speak to the press that was assembled.

Good afternoon, I have just been to Buckingham Palace to see Her Majesty the Queen. She has invited me to form a new government, and I have accepted.

Just a few short months ago, my party was elected on a manifesto that pledged if we were elected, we would work for the many, and not the few. I thank James McCrimmon for his months of service to the country and for laying the foundation of a strong Labour government. He is a good friend of mine and a true fighter for what he believes in. I know that we will continue to work together on passing the manifesto we were both elected on. 

When Britain went to the polls, they elected a government that would invest in restoring our public services. A government that would push for everyone to make a living wage. A government that would fix universal credit to work for the people who need it. A government that will give every Brit expanded access to education.

A government that works for the many and not the few.

There are a great many challenges facing our nation. Right now, four million British children live in poverty. This nation, one of the five wealthiest in the world, has one of the highest rates of hunger and deprivation of all wealthy nations. We are seeing growth in inequality year after year. We have been robbed from our public services to afford tax cuts for the wealthy. Where we have been satisfied to leave behind some regions fall well behind others. And we are leaving behind any notion of equality of opportunity. This government will work to reverse those trends.

It is for every child in this nation that we must work again to eradicate child poverty. No child born in this country should be born poor or needy. Every child deserves the same chances at achieving their dreams. It is for them that over the coming months this government will release our bold agenda to fight child poverty in this country. It is for every child born in Britain that the government remains committed to delivering a National Education Service that will give every child access to a world class education so they can have their best shot at achieving their dreams.

It is for hard-working families struggling to get by and feed the kids despite working full time jobs that we must transform our economy, building a higher wage economy that delivers for everyone. That is why we must have a minimum wage, and fair rights at work for everyone: giving everyone more security at work.

It is for the hard-working Brits in this country who need a hand up that we will be reforming universal credit so that the program works for the people who need it. Universal Credit cannot be a program that tries to balance the books off the backs of Britain’s poorest but instead must be a program that serves to help Britain’s poorest escape poverty.

It is for all of us that we must end the years of robbing our public services. We need an NHS that works for all of us. It is time we put the investment needed into the NHS to reduce long waiting lists and wait times for ambulances. This government will build a national care service that will address the growing social care crisis in this country.

It is for those regions that have been left behind by promises made by previous tory governments, only to be cancelled a few short weeks later, that this government will be working in the coming months to announce a new strategy to build up infrastructure throughout the United Kingdom. For no region nor nation should be left behind if we truly want a government that works for all Britons.

We will be continuing the fruitful discussions with the European Union, and over the coming months we will present our Brexit agreement to Parliament and the British public. We will continue to be transparent and open about the progress of negotiations but make no mistake this government will get Brexit done and end the years of divisions that have extended over this country.

In the coming days this government will be releasing a white paper outlining our path toward getting this country to net zero by 2040. We cannot run the risk of waiting until it is too late for us to act. The best lives for our children and grandchildren require us to take climate change seriously today.

And we will deliver the reforms currently in Parliament that will give full-time minimum wage earners a pay rise of more than 5,000 pounds, millions of people more rights at work from day one and bans unfair zero-hour contracts.

It is with these foundations that I can say this government will work for the many and not the few. That we will build a stronger, fairer, more united Britain. Thank you.