Labour govt will reconnect Britain, promises new UK Foreign Secretary

London: Asserting that "diplomacy matters", Britain's new Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on Saturday that the new Labour government will begin with a "reset" with Europe on climate and with the global South.

Outlining his priorities following his appointment, Lammy highlighted that the world is currently facing "huge challenges" with more countries engaged in conflict than at any time since World War II.

"This government will reconnect Britain for our security and prosperity at home. What happens here in the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office is essential.

"Diplomacy matters. We will begin with a reset with Europe, on climate, and with the global South.  And a gear-shift when it comes to delivering on European security, global security, and British growth," Lammy said in a statement released by the UK Foreign Ministry on Saturday.

The 51-year-old Labour Party politician promised that the new government is determined to deliver for working people and committed to building a better future for everyone.

"It is the honour of my life to stand before you as Foreign Secretary. A descendant of enslaved people. A black, working-class, man from Tottenham. A community which never produced a Foreign Secretary before. This speaks to what a modern, multicultural Britain can be. Proudly internationalist," he said.

Lammy also mentioned that Britain has "enormous potential" and that the change has begun now - a slogan with which the Keir Starmer-led party fought the general elections.