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

Politicians have congratulated Prime Minister Keir Starmer on a "remarkable", "convincing" and "resounding" win for Labour - with one world leader signing off their message: "Let's go get it my friend."

By Rachel McGrath, news reporter

Saturday 6 July 2024 08:11, UK

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Joe Biden is the latest world leader to react to Sir Keir Starmer's election victory 鈥� but while many congratulated the new prime minister, one has insisted: "I don't care."

Labour's became clear in the early hours of Friday morning and Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y soon shared congratulatory messages on social media.

The US president followed suit later, with the White House confirming he had called Sir Keir to congratulate him.

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Mr Biden said he is looking forward to working closely with him on the "full range of critical issues", while Downing Street said they discussed their "unwavering" commitment to Ukraine and the UK-US "special relationship".

Mr Starmer also spoke with Mr ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y, who said he congratulated the PM "on his election victory and wished him success in fulfilling the British people's expectations of the new government".

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

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

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