World

General election: World leaders react to Keir Starmer and Labour’s ‘remarkable’ win

July 5, 2024

Leaders around the world have reacted to Sir Keir Starmer becoming prime minister – but while many congratulated the Labour leader on his win, one has insisted: “I don’t care.”

Labour’s landslide victory became clear in the early hours of this morning and Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy soon shared congratulatory messages on social media.

In Russia though, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov offered a muted reaction to the UK’s change in government.

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When asked what Moscow thinks of the result, he told Sky News: “Unlike the British government, we do not meddle with others’ domestic matters.”

Mr Lavrov then spoke more widely about diplomacy and added: “You know the saying about the pudding? You understand that this is a pudding when you eat it?”

In response to whether the UK will be “weaker” under a Labour government, as Mr Sunak claimed on the campaign trail, Mr Lavrov said: “I don’t care. It’s the British people who should.”

On X, Starmer‘s appointment received a warmer reception from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who signed off his tweet with “let’s get to it, my friend”.

Writing in French, Mr Macron said: “We will continue the work undertaken with the United Kingdom for our bilateral cooperation, for the peace and security of Europe, for climate and AI.”

Other prominent politicians who have addressed the UK’s general election result include Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni split her thoughts into two posts, using one to congratulate Sir Keir on his success and a second to address Mr Sunak.

“My congratulations to @Keir_Starmer on his election success,” she wrote, adding: “The state of relations between Italy and the United Kingdom is excellent and I am sure that we will continue to cultivate a strong and reliable collaborative relationship between our great Nations.

“I thank my friend @RishiSunak for these years of intense collaboration and sincere friendship which have strengthened the ties between our two Nations.”

In his first speech as PM, Sir Keir this morning promised work to bring change to the UK would begin “immediately” and within hours, he began officially appointing his new cabinet.

Most ministers have stuck with the briefs they were given before the election, with Angela Rayner remaining as the PM’s deputy, and being named levelling up secretary, while Rachel Reeves has become the UK’s first-ever female chancellor.

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