Sir Keir Starmer to announce ‘first steps’ for government in ramping up of election campaign
Sir Keir Starmer will outline his “first steps” for government at a launch event to kickstart the next phase of Labour’s campaign for the general election.
The party leader will host the event in the potential battleground of Essex, where he will pledge to build on the five “missions” he set out last year.
Among the first steps “to change Britain” will be Labour’s pledge to deliver economic stability, cut NHS waiting times, launch a new border security command, set up publicly-owned energy firm Great British Energy, crack down on antisocial behaviour and recruit 6,500 new teachers.
Sir Keir told his shadow cabinet that, following a successful set of May local elections that saw the party steal the West Midlands mayor title from the Tories, the “next phase” of the party’s strategy was “crucially important”.
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Alongside the launch will be an advertising campaign – described by a party spokesman as the largest spend since the previous general election – that will see the Labour leader appear on ad vans and billboards alongside the six steps.
However, a spokesman stressed the steps will not be the “sum total” of the party’s election offer.
Sir Keir told members of his frontbench that “each of the first steps would chime with voters’ aspirations, show a clear set of priorities and a powerful direction of travel”.
“Stability is change”, he also told them.
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Starmer unveils Labour ‘missions’
The Tories hit out at what they said was Labour’s “sixteenth relaunch”, adding that it “won’t amount to a hill of beans”.
The “steps” will be provided to voters in physical form, but Labour steered away from directly comparing this to the pledge card given out by Sir Tony Blair ahead of the 1997 general election.
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Separate Scottish and Welsh launches are expected in coming weeks with offers aimed at voters in the devolved nations, the party said.
Richard Holden, the Tory Party chair, said: “Sir Keir Starmer’s been Labour leader for four years but still has no coherent plan.
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“Labour’s asylum amnesty, colossal unfunded spending commitments, and higher taxes would take us back to square one and it’s clear his sixteenth relaunch won’t amount to a hill of beans.”
“Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives are sticking to the plan which is working to strengthen the economy – with inflation down from 11.1% to 3.2% and £900 back in hard-working people’s pockets – and a fair immigration system with boat crossings down.”
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Keir Starmer refuses to reveal what he was told about Louise Haigh phone ‘theft’ that led to her resignation
Sir Keir Starmer has refused to reveal the “further information” he was told about Louise Haigh’s phone “theft” conviction which led to her stepping down as transport secretary.
The prime minister was asked by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch what new information “came to light” about Ms Haigh’s conviction, which is now “spent”, for reporting a phone stolen to police when it was not in 2014.
Sky News revealed last week she admitted to pleading guilty to misleading the police, said it was a “genuine mistake” and had disclosed the incident when she was appointed to the shadow cabinet.
However, she stepped down as transport secretary on Friday after “new information” emerged, Downing Street said.
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Answering Ms Badenoch’s question at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs), Sir Keir said: “I’m not going to disclose private conversations. Further information came to light. The transport secretary resigns.”
The Tory leader accused Sir Keir of having “knowingly appointed a convicted fraudster to be a transport secretary” and asked: “What was he thinking?”
He said Ms Haigh “was right, when further information came forward, to resign”.
Sir Keir Starmer and Kemi Badenoch faced off over Louise Haigh at PMQs
But Ms Badenoch accused him of never answering questions and allowing someone convicted of fraud to award pay rises to public sector workers.
“And it looks like he didn’t ask his transport secretary any questions either,” she told the Commons.
“The truth is, he appointed a person convicted of fraud to the cabinet.
“The first thing she did was bung hundreds of millions of pounds in pay rises to her trade union friends. Wasn’t this a fraud on the British people?”
Ms Badenoch was referring to the 15% pay rise Labour gave train drivers shortly after coming to power in July.
They also gave above-inflation pay rises to several other public sector workers, including teachers, most NHS workers and members of the armed forces.
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Ms Haigh has declined to say officially if the prime minister knew about the conviction when he appointed his cabinet in July.
A source told Sky News’ political editor Beth Rigby that the story that emerged on Thursday was “inconsistent” with what Sir Keir had been told when Ms Haigh was appointed to his shadow cabinet.
Ms Haigh said the incident arose after she was “mugged while on a night out” in 2013.
She said she reported the incident to the police and gave officers a list of items she believed had been taken – including a work mobile phone.
However, she told Sky News she discovered “some time later” that “the mobile in question had not been taken”.
In the interim, she was issued with another work phone. When she turned on the original work device, it “triggered police attention and I was asked to come in for questioning”, she said.
“My solicitor advised me not to comment during that interview and I regret following that advice,” she added.
“Under the advice of my solicitor I pleaded guilty – despite the fact this was a genuine mistake from which I did not make any gain.
“The magistrates accepted all of these arguments and gave me the lowest possible outcome (a discharge) available.”
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