Keir Starmer has outlined the importance of standards, delivery and trust in his first cabinet meeting as prime minister.
Speaking to journalists at his first press conference at No.10 on Saturday, the prime minister said he had used the cabinet’s inaugural meeting on Friday to tell his new ministers what he expects of them “in terms of standards, delivery and the trust that the country has put in them”.
Starmer, who appointed his cabinet and some other ministerial roles on Friday, said he also met Laurie Magnus, the independent adviser on standards, the same day “to discuss how we deliver in government”.
Labour has committed to reform standards through the creation of an ethics and integrity commission “to ensure probity in government”.
Starmer also announced that, as part of his plan for a mission-led government, he will set up mission delivery boards which he will also chair “to make sure that it’s clear to everyone that they are my priority in government”.
He said he reminded the entire cabinet in its first meeting “that we will be judged on actions not words”.
Starmer said he and his now-cabinet have been preparing for more than six months for how to "hit the ground running", including understanding the decisions that will need to be taken and the people they will need to talk to about those decisions.
The PM also set out his intentions to establish “different and better” ways of working with the devolved governments. He began a two-day tour of the UK yesterday, where he is meeting with the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
He will also meet with metro mayors tomorrow to discuss how they can help to deliver Labour’s plan for growth.
“The principle I operate to is those with skin in the game know what’s best for their communities, and that does require us to be bold about pushing power and resource out of Whitehall,” Starmer said.
The meeting will include non-Labour mayors, with Starmer stating: “There’s no monopoly on good ideas. And I’m not a tribal politician. And the principle I operate to, whether it’s mayors or other elected representatives, is that where regional leaders want to deliver for their area. Regardless of the colour of their rosette, my door is open and my government will work with them.”
Have no fear, call me PM or Keir
Starmer also set out his view on how civil servants should address him.
Asked if he was getting used to being called “prime minister”, Starmer said: “Yes, I'm getting used to it. I'm very happy to be called Keir or prime minister. I do recognise – I said this to the civil service yesterday – why, for them, it is important to refer to the office holder as prime minister because they're serving the office.
"I recognised this when I was director of public prosecutions. It’s actually important to them to use the title because it reinforces in them what they are doing by way of public service. And I respect that and understand that. I’m perfectly happy, but I do recognise why that happened.”
At the press conference, Starmer also defended NHS chief executive Amanda Pritchard. Asked if he was happy with her performance after health secretary Wes Streeting announced that the new government's policy is that "the NHS is broken", Starmer said: “This is not aimed at the chief executive of the NHS. It's a reflection on the leadership of the last government, but it is the raw honesty about the state of the NHS, because we will not fix it if we aren't honest."