Keir Starmer says he’s in ‘battle for the soul of our nation,’ vows to draw UK closer to EU

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged Monday to prove the “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 the European Union, six years after the U.K.’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 vowed to prove to millions of people “tired of a status quo that has failed them” that the government is on their side. 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 led by Nigel Farage, comes to power. Starmer is warned it’s his last chance Starmer’s position remains precarious. 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 September. Dozens of other lawmakers also have urged him to announce a departure date, with the number ticking up in the hours after the speech. Labour has been plunged into gloom by heavy losses last week in local elections across England and legislative votes in Scotland and Wales. The elections have been interpreted as an unofficial referendum on Starmer, whose popularity has plummeted since he swept to power in a landslide less than two years ago. Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, a powerful lawmaker often seen as a potential challenger, said the party is facing its “last chance” to change. Rayner did not explicitly call for Starmer to quit, but accused him of presiding over “a toxic culture of cronyism” and said the government must “stay true to Labour and social democratic values” and ease the c