UK Labour leader Keir Starmer woos undecided voters with a vow to safeguard national security
LONDON (AP) — British opposition leader Keir Starmer made his first major speech of the U.K. 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.”