Keir Starmer has urged Red Wall voters to “take another look” at Labour under his leadership, while saying the government is “not up to the job” of running the country.
The Labour leader’s remark followed his first major speech of 2022, in which he spoke of ministers’ “incompetence” and set out Labour’s vision for a future guided by “security, prosperity and respect”.
His address in Birmingham on Tuesday morning came as his party leads the Conservatives in the polls, following the sleaze scandals that gripped the government at the end of last year.
Mr Starmer said that the Tories are “unworthy” of the public’s trust, given its handling of issues such as the cost of living crisis.
“I am well aware that just because the Tories lose the public’s trust it doesn’t mean Labour simply inherits it. Trust has to be earned. I am confident but not complacent about the task ahead,” he added.
Ahead of his speech, Oliver Dowden, the Conservative party chairman, dismissed Mr Starmer’s remarks as “out of touch”.
Starmer tells ‘Red Wall’ voters to ‘take another look at Labour’
Keir Starmer has appealed to “Red Wall” voters to “take another look at Labour”, emphasising how different the party is under his leadership.
“This government is clearly not up to the job and we are offering solutions for the future that we want to discuss with you, to make sure that we can all buy in to the idea of a new and better Britain as we come out of the pandemic and I look forward to those discussions across the region wherever I go,” he said.
‘World of difference’ between Blair and Johnson, says Starmer
Turning to Tony Blair once more…
Keir Starmer has stressed that there is a “world of difference” between Tony Blair and Boris Johnson, after saying the first earned his knighthood but the current prime minister does not deserve to receive the honour.
“Tony Blair changed the lives of millions of people for the better,” the Labour leader said.
Mr Starmer added: “He introduced a minimum wage, he set up Sure Start for young families that changed lives, put money into hospitals and into schools and of course was a key player in the peace agreement in Northern Ireland.”
“So, I think there’s a world of difference between the two (men), in my book.”
Christmas parties probe continues, says No 10
Top civil servant Sue Gray’s investigation into allegations of rule-breaking festive parties held in government last year is ongoing, No 10 has said.
“That work continues. It’s an independent piece of work led by Sue Gray…the timing of it is a matter for her via the Cabinet Office,” said Boris Johnson’s official spokesman.
No 10 would not commit to publishing ethics adviser Lord Geidt’s latest correspondence with Mr Johnson about the funding of his Downing Street flat refurb this week – but suggested his conclusions would be revealed soon.
Lord Geidt has been looking into whether he had been misled by the PM during an initial investigation following the Electoral Commission’s report last month.
“I believe [Lord Geidt’s] work has concluded – obviously it’s a matter for him when we publish that in terms of exact timing,” said the PM’s spokesman, before adding that details would be revealed “in as short a timescale as possible”.
Starmer against drug law changes
Keir Starmer has reiterated that Labour is not in favour of changing drugs laws, following reports that London mayor Sadiq Khan is introducing a pilot to stop the prosecution of 18 to 24-year-olds caught with “a small amount of cannabis”.
Responding to questions after his speech in Birmingham, he said: “On the drugs legislation, I’ve said a number of times and I will say again: I’m not in favour of us changing the law or decriminalisation. I’m very clear about that.
“I haven’t seen the detail of the proposals that you’ve reported on. As I understand it they are early measures, they are some sort of pilot.
“Obviously we’ll look at those, but I’m very clear that we’re not in favour of changing the drugs laws.”
Ministers don’t think rules apply to them, says Cooper
The British public are being “let down” by ministers who flout their own rules, Yvette Cooper has said.
“Too many people today face insecurity, a cost of living crisis, and are let down by a Tory government that thinks rules don’t apply to them,” the Labour frontbencher said.
“Important speech from Keir Starmer,” she added, referring to the Labour leader’s talk earlier today.
PM to hold Covid press conference at 5pm
Boris Johnson will lead a virtual coronavirus press conference at 5pm today.
He will update the country on the latest Covid-19 case numbers and hospitalisations over the festive season.
Keir Starmer: Johnson has not ‘earned’ a knighthood
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said that prime minister Boris Johnson has not “earned the right” of a knighthood once he leaves office.
His comments come after he dismissed criticism of Sir Tony Blair’s knighthood.
Sir Keir insisted the honour is not a “thorny” issue and that Sir Tony had been a “very successful prime minister”.
Sir Keir was asked about whether prime minister Boris Johnson should be honoured in the future after giving a speech about Labour’s priorities for 2022.
He replied: “No, I am sorry, I don’t think that this Prime Minister has earned the right to have an honour. I do think Tony Blair has.”
Former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost joins group of MPs against more Covid rules
Former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost has joined the Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs on Whatsapp, according to reports.
The Covid Recovery Group is a group of MPs opposed to more Covid-19 restrictions.
Lord David Frost resigned as Brexit minister in December over “concerns about the [government’s] current direction of travel”.
In a letter to Boris Johnson, setting out the reasons for his resignation, Lord Frost said that he hoped the prime minister would “not be tempted” by “coercive measures” to tackle Covid.
Shadow culture secretary: Culture war debates create a ‘false divide’
Political debates about the ‘culture wars’ create a “false divide” in society, Labour’s new shadow culture secretary has said.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Lucy Powell MP said she will combat the Conservative rhetoric about cultural divides head on in her new role.
She said: “I’m just an ordinary northern parent, and mum and woman, like everybody else who doesn’t really have any truck for those false divisions.”
“I wouldn’t say I’m woke. I’m not woke, but I’m not anti-woke either,” she added. “I’m just kind of fairly ordinary. I will absolutely sort of cry my eyes out at Strictly Come Dancing where a deaf woman wins it and a same-sex couple are the runners up.
“I think that was a fantastic kind of illustration of where woke and anti-woke meet. I do think it’s a bit of a false divide in this country, isn’t it sometimes?”
