HUNDREDS of fresh-faced Labour MPs crammed into the Commons today to give new PM Sir Keir Starmer a hero’s welcome.
The army of “Starmtroopers” squeezed onto the government benches to ring in the 2024 Parliament and see their leader speak from the dispatch box for the first time as premier.
They faced off against a rainbow assortment of Opposition MPs led by vanquished Tory leader Rishi Sunak – who wished his successor well.
His rump of 121 Conservatives were forced to sit side-by-side with the resurgent 72 Lib Dems, nine SNPs and five Reform MPs.
Nigel Farage led his “Famous Five” into Westminster today – with Lee Anderson declaring the “foxes were in the henhouse”.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle was reelected unopposed as Speaker and was “dragged” to his chair as is tradition – dating back to when the job was unenviable because many lost their heads.
In his first Commons address as PM, Sir Keir said: “Now as a new Parliament, we have the opportunity and the responsibility to put an end to a politics that is too often seen as self-serving and self- obsessed.
“And to replace that politics of performance with the politics of service because service is a precondition for trust.
“And the need to restore trust should weigh heavily on every member here, new and returning alike. We all have a duty to show that politics can be a force for good.”
Mr Sunak repeated his apology to former Tory MPs who lost their seats in last week’s election drubbing.
But in a dignified first address as Leader of the Opposition, he buried the hatchet with Sir Keir after a gruelling campaign.
He said: “As he takes on his formidable task, he and his family deserve the good wishes of all of us.
“In our politics, we can argue vigorously as the Prime Minister and I did over the past six weeks, but still respect each other.
“And whatever disputes we may have in this Parliament, I know that everyone in this House will not lose sight of the fact that we are all motivated by our desire to serve our constituents, our country…”
He noted “one of the great aspects of our system is no matter how high you rise, you still have that constituency, which keeps you grounded”.
Mr Sunak also insisted it is “important” that after 14 years of Government, “the Conservative Party rebuilds” in order to “take up the crucial role of His Majesty’s Official Opposition professionally, effectively and humbly”.
Mr Farage – who was finally elected as an MP last week on his eighth attempt – said Reform UK were “the new kids on the block.”
“We have no experience in this Parliament whatsoever, even though some of us have tried many times previously to get here.”
Paying tribute to the Speaker, he said: “It’s pretty clear everybody that you act with great neutrality, that you have bought tremendous dignity to the role as Speaker so we absolutely endorse you entirely for this job.”
Taking a dig at former Speaker John Bercow, Mr Farage said Sir Lindsay stands in marked contrast to “the little man that was there before you”.
Referring to the Brexit years, Mr Farage accused Mr Bercow of doing “his best to overturn the biggest democratic vote in this country’s history”.
