Keir Starmer vows to bring UK, EU closer amid exit calls

LONDON: PM Keir Starmer pledged Monday to prove "doubters" in his own party and among the electorate as a whole wrong as he tries to fight off demands to step down after devastating local election results for his Labour Party.

Starmer argued that he will "face up to the big challenges" and restore hope to the country, in part by forging closer ties with European Union, six years after the UK's acrimonious departure from the bloc. "I know I have my doubters and I know I need to prove them wrong, and I will," Starmer said during a speech in London. He said Labour is in "a battle for the soul of our nation", and warned Britain will go down "a dark path" if Reform UK, the anti-immigration party headed by Nigel Farage, comes to office.

Labour lawmaker Catherine West, who had vowed to trigger a leadership challenge if the speech didn't mark a major turning point, said she would hold off for now, though she urged Starmer to resign by Sept. Dozens of other lawmakers also have urged him to announce a departure date.

Starmer hopes to regain momentum with Monday's speech and an ambitious set of legislative plans to be set out in a speech Wednesday by King Charles III at the State Opening of Parliament. He announced plans to nationalise what is left of the once-mighty British Steel, a move that could save some industrial jobs in an area where working-class voters have deserted Labour for Reform UK. Starmer also pledged to put Britain "at the heart of Europe" and forge closer ties with the 27-nation EU. Farage, who spearheaded the Brexit campaign, opposes any move to get closer to EU.ap