Thomas Coughlan: NZ Herald deputy political editor on Sir Keir Starmer taking over as Prime Minister of the UK

A change to the UK Government doesn't look to change much for New Zealand.

It was a big win for Labour in the UK's general election, with Sir Keir Starmer now taking the helm as Prime Minister.

It marks the end of the Conservative's 14 years in power.

NZ Herald deputy political editor Thomas Coughlan says New Zealand's close relationship with the UK will likely remain.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sunday Session podcast with Francesca Rudgin
from News Talks.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
EDB in time to talk politics, and I'm joined by
New Zealand Herald Deputy Political editor Thomas Coughland. Good morning,
Good morning, Thomas. The Labor Party is on a mission
to win back the hearts and minds of Aucklanders. This
week they've acknowledged that the super City residents probably didn't
feel that Labor was listening to them or engaging with
them ahead of last year's election. I might suggest that

(00:32):
they probably lost Auckland during the last lockdown of twenty
twenty one.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
Actually, yes, I think that's probably a question Labor, Labor
and Peter are asking themselves that I would. I mean,
certainly some of the polling that we've got would suggest
that was around the period they lost Auckland. Obviously, with
so many New Zealanders living in Auckland, and with MMP
meaning that every vote counts, it's pretty difficult to win
any New Zealand election. You don't if you don't carry

(00:56):
a decent chunk of Auckland with you. And obviously, when
you look at the way that the votes shook out
of the last election, Labor really really underperformed in Auckland
and it lost seats like Mount Roskill, which it really
really needs to hold. So you know, this was the
first kind of big staged event that Labor's done to
just tell Orkanders that it's listening. The party's put out

(01:19):
a bunch of social media ads as well, basically saying Altan,
you know, we had a little we realized that we
lost your last election. So it'll be interested to see
whether that whether that works. I certainly think there'll be
a lot of soul searching from Labor that Obviously the
lockdown was a big issue, but that's you know, in
the past. Now COVID's gone, but the crime, the crime
issue is still a big one for Orglanders, I think,

(01:41):
so it'll be interesting to see where the Labor sort
of changed its position on that a wee bit. I've
certainly been trying to hug the government on crime quite closely,
so we'll see how it shakes out.

Speaker 2 (01:50):
Thomas. The UK has a new Prime Minister and government
wan impecs that going to have on New Zealand and
our relationship with them.

Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yeah, it's an incredible result in the UK. First change
of government in fourteen years. I can't imagine their position
towards UC will be will be that different. These things
tend to be pretty bipartisan. We've actually enjoyed quite a
close relationship with the UK recently. After the UK came
out of the European Union, they were looking for some
old friends and New Zealand was an old friend that

(02:18):
was that was waiting to sort of step up. So
we've had that free trade agreement with the UK and
course for a couple of years now. It's a really
good free trade agreement. It's one of our strongest ones.
So so New Zealand the exporters will be looking to
continue to take advantage of that. And then obviously the
UK is taking a bit more of an interest in
our region. They've joined the cp TPP and they they

(02:38):
too are getting a weave it a wee bit nervous
about the actions of China and our region, so in
a security sense there also they're also getting involved. Christ
Of Laxon obviously on his way to NATO next week
in Washington, d C. And the UK's new Prime Minister,
Kirstana will be at that NATO meeting I believe, so
they'll actually have an opportunity to meet, you know, basically

(03:02):
a week after Sarmon became Prime minister. So that's a
pretty good guy.

Speaker 2 (03:06):
And do we know of any other formal meetings that
the Prime Minister will be having while he's in Washington.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
At the stage, I'm actually aware of aware of who
he has locked down, if any. They always have a
sort of big gala kind of dinner thing where he'll
get to meet any any leader who is there. They've
got the i P four meetings that South Korea, Japan
and Australia which is happening, so he'll meet the leaders

(03:33):
of those countries. Although I think Australian Prime Minister Anthony
Albanezi isn't coming, so his Deputy Prime Minister and Defense
Minister Richard Marles is going instead. And ideally Christopher Luxe
will rub shoulders with Joe Biden. I would say it'd
be a stretch to actually get a formal bilot with
with Joe Biden because Biden will be pretty busy, but
they'll probably have what's called a pull side, and that

(03:55):
is that is that is just what it sounds like.
So they're at a bigger event and Christopher Luxin's that
makes a b line for Joe Biden, and they exchange
few words on the sideline, but they're still pretty significant,
you know, Joe Biden's most powerful personal words. So important.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Thank you so much, Thomas, good to catch up with you.

Speaker 1 (04:15):
For more from the Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin, listen
live to News Talks it'd be from nine am Sunday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.