**PM Vows to Strengthen Ties with US and EU**
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised not to choose between allies of the UK in a speech on foreign policy. He attacked the Conservative Party for turning their back on the world.
Starmer said that his government would instead strengthen ties with both the United States and the European Union. He stressed that stability is essential for growth, so the UK must continue to support Ukraine against Russia‘s aggression.
**No Choosing Between Allies**
Starmer spoke at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London‘s Guildhall. He said that it was wrong to think that the UK had to choose between its allies. He rejected this idea and said that former Prime Ministers Clement Attlee and Winston Churchill did not make such a choice.
Starmer added that the national interest demands that the UK works with both America and Europe. He told President-elect Donald Trump during their meeting in New York in September that the UK would invest more deeply than ever in its transatlantic bond with American friends.
**Supporting Ukraine**
Starmer said it is “deeply in our self-interest” to support Ukraine against Russian president Vladimir Putin because the future of freedom in Europe is being decided today. He insisted that a win for Putin would damage “our own security, stability and prosperity”.
The UK is now determined to fight harder on the world stage for its national interests and ready to dig deeper to defend them.
**Conservative Response**
However, Conservative Party co-chair Nigel Huddlestone said it was Starmer’s government that had set their country back since Labour took power five months ago. He accused Starmer of a “desperate reset” and claimed that his policies had driven business confidence to near-record lows.