Keir Starmer and wife Vic’s emotional Downing Street greeting with JLM chief
Labour leader and his wife were loudly cheered as they made their way into Downing St for the first time after general election victory
Lee Harpin is the Jewish News's political editor
Keir Starmer and wife Victoria warmly greeted the national chair of the Jewish Labour Movement as they made their way into Downing Street for the first time after Labour’s general election victory.
In emotional scenes, video footage showed Starmer shaking hands with JLM’s Mike Katz after spotting him in the crowd outside the gates to Number 10.
Next, Katz can be seen sharing a hug with the Prime Minister’s wife, who was clearly moved by the warm public response to their arrival at Downing Street after she also spotted the Jewish Labour campaigner him in the crowd.
Jewish News understands that Katz had only been standing in the position outside Downing St by chance, but had been spotted by the PM and his wife due to his frequent work with the party.
The Starmers had arrived at Downing Street shortly after 12.30pm after he went to Buckingham Palace to meet with King Charles.
In his maiden speech, delivered outside No.10, Starmer promised to use his historic election victory to rebuild Britain “brick by brick” and provide security for millions of working-class families.
He said now was the time to change course because for “too long now we have turned a blind eye” to people’s problems.
It was inevitable they had lost trust in successive governments who had abandoned them, he added.“My government will fight, every day, until you believe again,” Starmer said in a speech outside No 10 that had echoes of Tony Blair’s vow to act as the servants of the people in 1997.
“From now on, you have a government unburdened by doctrine, guided only by a determination to serve your interests. To defy, quietly, those who have written our country off.”
In the early hours of Friday, after Labour’s historic election victory became a reality Starmer had delivered another speech at an event with Labour activists.
Standing directly behind him was another JLM official Izzy Lenga, also a councillor in Camden, north London.
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