Sir Keir Starmer insists vote for Labour is chance to ‘stop the chaos’ wrought by 14 years of Tory rule
SIR Keir Starmer insisted a vote for Labour was the chance to “stop the chaos” after 14 years of Tory rule.
The Labour leader vowed the public deserved stability rather than the mayhem of recent times – including the 49-day Liz Truss Premiership.
The party chief’s address indoors in front of a wood-panelled backdrop was in sheer contrast to Rishi Sunak’s rain-soaked appearance in Downing Street.
Blasting the Tories, Sir Keir said: “If they get another five years they will feel entitled to carry on exactly as they are. Nothing will change.
“A vote for Labour is a vote for stability, economic and political, a politics that treads more lightly on all our lives. A vote to stop the chaos.”
In an attempt to offer an upbeat assessment of the country, he said there “so much pride and potential” to be unlocked in Britain saying it was time to “turn the page”.
Sir Keir added that the country’s problems were a “direct result” of the Tory chaos in Westminster.
He said: “Service of our country is the reason and the only reason why I am standing here now asking for your vote.
“I believe with patience, determination and that commitment to service, there is so much pride and potential we can unlock in our country. So here it is, the future of the country in your hands.”
He goes into the election campaign with a 20-point poll lead suggesting a landslide win for Labour.
Sir Keir has previously welcomed the prospect of TV debates where he is set to go head-to-head with the Prime Minister.
But one campaign video came with a spelling mistake calling on the public to “swich on GB Energy” in relation to one of their main pledges.
What are the odds?
The latest Betfair Exchange odds on which party will win the general election are:
- Labour majority 1/8
- No overall majority 9/1
- Conservative majority 49/1
Mr Sunak told voters to question Sir Keir Starmer’s integrity as he set the stage for a fierce election showdown with the Labour boss.
He said: “On July 5, either Keir Starmer or I will be prime minister.
“He has shown time and time again that he will take the easy way out and do anything to get power.
“I have to say, if he was happy to abandon all the promises he made to become Labour leader once he got the job, how can you know that he won’t do exactly the same thing if he were to become prime minister?”
Why is Rishi Sunak calling a general election now?
By Kate Ferguson, Sun on Sunday Political Editor
So, why has the PM suddenly decided to roll the dice and call a summer election?
The first thing to point out is that No10 was not united on the decision.
One camp, led by the Tory Party’s chief strategist Isaac Levido, had urged the PM to “go long” and wait until October or November to hold an election.
This would give them more time to show the economy is improving and let the Bank of England cut interest rates, they argued.
This in turn would let banks cut mortgage rates, which are currently crippling family budgets.
Only then would people start to feel financially better off.
But another team, led by the PM’s Political Secretary James Forsyth, have been pushing for a summer election.
Now, it is important to note that James is Rishi’s best mate.
They have known each other since school, are godparents to each other’s kids, and Rishi was best man at James’ wedding.
They are more than just political colleagues. They are besties.
Anyway, James’ camp reckons Rishi can now finally show he is achieving all five of the priorities he set out when he became PM.
These are – halve inflation, get the economy growing, get debt falling, cut NHS waiting lists and pass new laws to stop the boats.
On the economy, the PM will point out that growth is up, wages are rising and inflation is down to 2.3 per cent – almost bang on target.
NHS waiting lists also dropped for the fourth month in a row, according to official figures out last month.
And on stopping the boats, the PM has managed to pass laws enacting his flagship Rwanda deportation plan.
The thinking is – strike while the iron is hot and you can put five big ticks by your promises.
But there is also grim news for No10 that has nudged them into calling a summer election.
Their flagship Rwanda Bill has passed parliament and is now law. But hopes they will get a flight off the ground this year are fading fast.
Northern Ireland’s HIgh Court ruled that the plan breached human rights laws and therefore should not apply in NI.
This paved the way for English laws to also reject it.
Meanwhile, small boat crossings are going up again.
A whole summer of damaging headlines showing boats on the shores of Dover will only feed a sense that No10 does not have a grip.
Rishi is famously straight laced.
He doesn’t drink, he has never taken drugs, and he is not a gambler.
But he has staked it all on a July 4 election.
Will he come up trumps? Or will he lose it all?