Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he was “frustrated” with his performance in his first TV debate with Rishi Sunak.
The Labour leader said he would have liked more time to answer questions during a grilling by the ITV’s Julie Etchingham.
“After the first debate I was slightly frustrated because I didn’t think the 45 seconds to answer your question really worked for me … I was pretty frustrated,” he told LBC.
“ I’m not good company when I’m in that place. Vic cheered me up on that one.”
Elsewhere, nearly two thirds of voters said they felt confident that the Conservatives could not afford the policies set out in their manifesto, according to a poll.
An Ipsos survey found that some 62 per cent of respondents were not convinced that all the pledges outlined in the document were fully costed.
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Keir Starmer admires Rishi Sunak for bipartisan approach on Ukraine and security
Keir Starmer admires Rishi Sunak for bipartisan approach on Ukraine and security, Archie Mitchell reports.
Sir Keir Starmer has praised Rishi Sunak’s approach to issues such as Ukraine and national security.
The Labour leader was asked what, if anything, he admires about the prime minister.
He told LBC’s Nick Ferrari: “On the day he became prime minister, he insisted on picking up the phone to me – which he did not have to.
“In a personal one-to-one, he was running late for time and was really busy, he wanted to establish contact and say that on things like Ukraine and national security, whatever other arguments we have in other parts of the forest, we will work together and share information.
“And to be fair, I have had pretty high level security briefings on Ukraine and other issues from him and his team.”
Sir Keir added: “We will fight hard in this campaign, I do not think he should continue as prime minister, but I respect the fact that on a busy day he took the time to and insisted on making sure we had that call the day he was appointed.”
Matt Mathers18 June 2024 10:52
Starmer ‘frustrated’ with performance in ITV debate with Sunak
Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he was “frustrated” with his performance in his TV debate against Rishi Sunak.
The Labour leader said he would have liked more time to answer questions during a grilling by the ITV’s Julie Etchingham.
“After the first debate I was slightly frustrated because I didn’t think the 45 seconds to answer your question really worked for me … I was pretty frustrated,” he told LBC.
“ I’m not good company when I’m in that place. Vic cheered me up on that one.”
Matt Mathers18 June 2024 10:42
Want to know more about Farage and Reform UK?
Do you have a question about Reform’s manifesto or the party’s leader Nigel Farage?
You can ask our political editor David Maddox your burning questions in an exclusive Q&A session today.
Simply follow this link to submit your question – and don’t forget to come back at midday for the live Ask Me Anything event.
Matt Mathers18 June 2024 10:42
Keir Starmer mocks Rishi Sunak’s contactless card gaffe
Sir Keir Starmer has mocked Rishi Sunak for a gaffe in which he appeared unable to pay with a contactless card, Archie Mitchell reports.
The Labour leader talked about how he fills up his own car and said he can pay for it himself. “I can also pay for my shopping in Sainsbury’s,” Sir Keir added.
He was making fun of the prime minister, who once tried to tap his contactless card on the shopping scanner – as opposed to the card machine – in a petrol station.
Mr Sunak also borrowed a staff member’s Kia Rio for a photo-op of him filling up a car.
Matt Mathers18 June 2024 10:32
Watch: Ed Balls clashes with Nigel Farage on ‘who would benefit most’ from Reform UK tax proposals
Ed Balls grills Nigel Farage on ‘who would benefit most’ from Reform tax proposals
Good Morning Britain hosts grilled Nigel Farage on “who would benefit most” from Reform UK’s tax proposals on Tuesday morning (18 June). Farage yesterday unveiled his party’s general election manifesto – which he dubbed a “contract” with voters – including plans to “simplify” the tax system. “Who would gain most from your personal tax proposal? Somebody on the minimum wage, somebody on average earnings or somebody on £95,000 a year?” GMB host Ed Balls asked, beginning the clash. Mr Farage responded by suggesting the “poorest in society” would benefit most from Reform’s proposal – a claim that the hosts disagreed with.
Matt Mathers18 June 2024 10:19
Labour will review arms sales to Israel, Starmer says
Labour will review what arms are being exported to Israel and what the legal advice is about them before deciding whether to suspend sales, Archie Mitchell reports.
Sir Keir Starmer said if elected he would have access to the government’s legal advice and promised a review.
He indicated that explicitly defensive weapons being exported for defensive purposes should not be barred, promising a review of others.
Sir Keir was also pressed about whether Israel’s war in Gaza amounted to genocide, but refused to say.
Matt Mathers18 June 2024 10:08
Sir Keir pressed over support for Jeremy Corbyn
Sir Keir Starmer has been grilled over his past support for Jeremy Corbyn, refusing to answer whether he would have served in the cabinet if Mr Corbyn was prime minister, Archie Mitchell reports.
The Labour leader has been unable to explain his enthusiastic support for the left-winger, saying only that he “did not think we would win” in 2019.
Quizzed by a caller about whether he would have joined Mr Corbyn’s government had he won, Sir Keir claimed it “didn’t cross my mind”.
He told LBC: “I didn’t think we would win. I did take a post. I served for three years in the shadow Brexit role because I thought that was a very important issue for our country.”
He has accused Rishi Sunak of presenting a “Jeremy Corbyn-style manifesto” at this election that will “load everything into the wheelbarrow” without explaining how to pay for it.
Matt Mathers18 June 2024 10:06
We won’t scrap the two-child benefit cap, Keir Starmer says
Sir Keir Starmer has said Labour will not scrap the two-child benefit cap if it wins the general election, Archie Mitchell reports.
The Labour leader promised a strategy to reduce child poverty if he becomes prime minister.
But he said he would not get rid of the policy, which experts say would be one of the most effective tools to reduce child poverty.
He had previously promised to scrap it, and on Monday Sir Keir said he was “not immune” to the arguments to scrapping the measure, which limits benefits to low-income parents for their third and any subsequent children born from April 2017.
But asked about it on LBC, Sir Keir said: “We won’t [scrap the policy]… it has been a difficult decision.”
Matt Mathers18 June 2024 10:05
Two-thirds of voters say Tory election manifesto pledges not affordable
Nearly two thirds of voters said they felt confident that the Conservatives could not afford the policies set out in their manifesto, according to a poll.
An Ipsos survey found that some 62 per cent of respondents were not convinced that all the pledges outlined in the document were fully costed.
Voters were not fully convinced by Labour and the Liberal Democrat pledges either.
Some 50 per cent said they were not confident Labour could afford its policies, with 37 per cent saying they were confident.
And for the Lib Dems, 57 per cent said they were not confident their policies were affordable.
Matt Mathers18 June 2024 09:53
Sir Keir Starmer refuses to rule out council tax hikes
Labour is leaving council tax rises on the table in his LBC interview, Archie Mitchell reports.
Sir Keir Starmer has repeated his assertion that “none of our plans” require tax increases set out beyond those in the Labour manifesto.
The party leader said VAT, income tax and national insurance will not go up under a Labour government.
But pressed on whether council tax will increase under a Labour government, he refused to rule it out.
Sir Keir said: “I am not going to sit here two and a bit weeks before the election and write the Budgets for the next five years.”
Presenter Nick Ferrari pointed out Sir Keir’s happiness to rule out income tax and other tax hikes but not council tax.
Matt Mathers18 June 2024 09:42