A FORCE FOR GOD

PM in rallying call to 412 members

- ASHLEY COWBURN and JOHN STEVENS

KEIR Starmer gathered his haul of new MPs at Westminster last night, but there was not a room big enough for all 412.

They included a 22-yearold, surgeon, military cross winner, malaria scientist and son of Tony Blair's former flatmate.

There were also some returning MPs such as ex-Cabinet minister Douglas Alexander amid an air of optimism for the future.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed his colleagues after Labour's landslide election win last week.

His party's haul was the second largest in history.

Repeating his message outside No10 last week, s Mr Starmer said: h "We have to return politics to public service, to show to the British people politics can be a force for good."

He added: "We have a mandate for change, a mandate for renewal." It is understood Mr Starmer said voters "placed their trust in us for now but they are not converts".

He told MPs: "Election victories do not fall from the sky. They are hard-won and hard-fought for and this one could only have been won by a changed Labour Party.