Asked why he is not calling for tougher restrictions, Sir Keir Starmer says Labour “has always said we’ll be guided by the science”.
He remarks that Boris Johnson could not have passed Plan B restrictions with support from his own party alone, and calls for mass testing “to play a massive part in what comes next, particularly with this new variant”.
Sir Keir says he does not think there is a binary choice between net-zero goals and keeping energy prices low, and answers a question on whether Boris Johnson should ever receive a knighthood by saying: “No, I’m sorry, I do not think this Prime Minister has the right to receive an honour – I do think Sir Tony Blair has.”
He signals that Labour will focus on the “very, very Labour” issues of housing, employment rights and investment in the green jobs of the future.
On why he did not mention Jeremy Corbyn having ran for Labour leader on 10 pledges that vowed to take forward part of the Corbynite agenda, Sir Keir adds: “I don’t apologise for mentioning Attlee, Wilson and Blair… They all won, and I want to be the fourth in that list. I have always cited Attlee, Wilson and Blair precisely because they won.”
