Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer stated that Jeremy Corbyn would have made a better prime minister than Boris Johnson. During a special BBC Question Time programme, Starmer faced tough questions about his past support for Corbyn, whom he succeeded as Labour leader. Although initially reluctant to repeat his 2019 remark that Corbyn would have been a "great" prime minister, Starmer eventually conceded, "He would be a better prime minister… look what we got, Boris Johnson, a man who made massive promises, didn’t keep them, and then had to leave parliament in disgrace."

 

This statement is particularly notable given Starmer's recent efforts to distance himself from Corbyn, a left-wing figure who has been ousted from the Labour Party and is now standing as an independent candidate. Despite Starmer's distancing, he defended his past support during the programme, explaining, "In 2019 I campaigned for the Labour Party as I’ve always campaigned for the Labour Party. I wanted good colleagues returned to parliament."

 

The programme also highlighted Starmer's stance on various current issues, including the rental market. He criticized the practice of landlords "ripping off" tenants through bidding wars, where potential tenants are pitted against each other to drive up rents. Starmer proposed legislation to ban such practices if Labour wins office. He stated, "We have to stop the landlords ripping off tenants who are doing this bidding war: who’ll pay more until people are paying through the roof. We have to end that."

 

However, when pressed for details by BBC presenter Fiona Bruce, Starmer provided limited specifics on how the plan would work. He emphasized the need for change, saying, "We can’t have this bidding war like this. We have to have a scheme in place to stop them driving rents up and up. Lots of renters are paying huge deposits and we have to stop that as well."

 

Starmer also faced scrutiny over his shifting positions on other policies, including trans issues and NHS waiting lists. On trans issues, he clarified his stance, stating, "On the biology, I agree with what Tony Blair said in relation to men having penises and women having vaginas. That doesn’t help on the gender. There are some people who don’t identify with the gender that they are born into and they go through a lot of anxiety and distress. My view in life is to respect and give dignity to everyone."

 

Regarding NHS waiting lists, Starmer admitted that it could take up to five years to return to normal levels. Initially hesitant to provide a timeline, he eventually stated, "We will start the work on waiting lists on day one in government... we will get those operations going as quickly as we can with staff." He later specified that backlogs would be addressed "over the course of the parliament," indicating a timeframe extending to 2029.

 

Starmer also tackled the issue of immigration, a topic on which Labour has faced criticism for being perceived as too lenient. While he expressed a desire to reduce net migration, he refrained from setting a specific target. "Migration is at record levels under this Government. They’ve completely lost control. We need to get that number down. We need to get it significantly down," he said, adding, "I’m not going to put an arbitrary figure on it because every single politician who has put a number on it has never met that number."

 

Throughout the programme, Starmer was repeatedly challenged on his policy reversals since becoming Labour leader. Critics have pointed out that he has abandoned many of the ten pledges he made during the 2020 Labour leadership contest. Defending his pragmatic approach, Starmer described himself as a "commonsense politician" and justified his decision to drop plans to nationalize energy firms, arguing it would be too costly and ineffective in reducing bills.

 

The session on BBC Question Time showcased Starmer's attempts to navigate his past support for Corbyn while outlining his vision for Labour's future policies. His comments have sparked debate and highlighted the challenges he faces in balancing his leadership with the legacy of his predecessor.

 

Credit: Daily Telegraph 2024-06-22

 

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Retards are us. Pair of useless morons!!!!🤪😜🤪😜

Shows how low the bar is

Every politician in actually-working democracies has to move to the centre to get elected.

 

It's what happens once they're in power that matters and - mostly - what they do is in or round the centre. Starmer will be interesting to watch. But even more interesting will be La Le Pen in France, if she wins the upcoming there.

I blame The Simpsons. Once everyone had seen Homer Simpson as President, it was only a matter of time before Trump or, in the UK, Johnson, just for the giggles. 

 

 

This man is so, so weak.   Whichever way the cultural wind is blowing is his opinion on things - he has zero convictions.  Not a big deal when he is just the opposition leader but a bit different when he is PM in a few weeks.   He discovered recently (in his 60s no less) that men have penises and women have vaginas.   He previously said that men can self identify as women and if he was PM at the time no doubt the UK would have had the same farcical situation as Scotland where a male rapist was housed in a female prison.  He now says this is a bad idea.  He also took the knee to the corrupt BLM organisation.  

 

What a 5 years the UK has in store.  Thank the all powerful sky wizard I am no longer a tax resident there.   

 

10 hours ago, Social Media said:

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer stated that Jeremy Corbyn would have made a better prime minister than Boris Johnson.

 

Yea , and my Thai MIL would have made a better PM than both. At least she is pretty harmless.

 

 

 

 

My dog would have made a better P.M. than the lazy, lying tub of lard aka the disgraced former PM Johnson.

Frightening.

Thank God we live in Thailand.

4 hours ago, Red Forever said:

My dog would have made a better P.M. than the lazy, lying tub of lard aka the disgraced former PM Johnson.

 

   You keep body shaming people , that's really not  acceptable these days . You just cannot body shame people in this day and age 

Corbyn is already employed in his full time job as ‘Bogeyman’ for the Tories and their dwindling number of supporters.

 

Whenever they find themselves being criticized for any mess of their own making they break the emergency glass on the ‘Corbyn deflection’.

 

 

 

 

16 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Corbyn is already employed in his full time job as ‘Bogeyman’ for the Tories and their dwindling number of supporters.

 

Whenever they find themselves being criticized for any mess of their own making they break the emergency glass on the ‘Corbyn deflection’.

 

 

 

 

 

It was Starmer who raised the issue not the Conservatives.

 

Maybe Starmer is bitter that he didn't get an introduction to Corbyn's friends in Hamas. 

23 hours ago, James105 said:

He previously said that men can self identify as women and if he was PM at the time no doubt the UK would have had the same farcical situation as Scotland where a male rapist was housed in a female prison. 

 

This farcical situation (I am in full agreement with you in that respect) already exists in England. Take that up with your local Tory party, as it's the Tories who are responsible for this. 

 

"last year, when Karen White was sent to jail pending trial for rape, Karen White “identified” as a woman. So the Prison Service allowed Karen White to be housed in the female prison estate. And in HMP New Hall, Karen White sexually assaulted women. "

 

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-was-a-transgender-rapist-put-in-a-women-s-prison/

 

 

23 hours ago, James105 said:

the UK would have had the same farcical situation as Scotland

 

Scotland is (unfortunately) still part of the UK.

1 minute ago, RuamRudy said:

 

This farcical situation (I am in full agreement with you in that respect) already exists in England. Take that up with your local Tory party, as it's the Tories who are responsible for this. 

 

"last year, when Karen White was sent to jail pending trial for rape, Karen White “identified” as a woman. So the Prison Service allowed Karen White to be housed in the female prison estate. And in HMP New Hall, Karen White sexually assaulted women. "

 

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-was-a-transgender-rapist-put-in-a-women-s-prison/

 

 

 

Scotland is (unfortunately) still part of the UK.

 

 

For that you blame the Tories?

 

 

No wonder Scotland will not see independence in your lifetime.

1 minute ago, hotandsticky said:

 

 

For that you blame the Tories?

 

 

No wonder Scotland will not see independence in your lifetime.

 

Who is in charge of the prison service in England?

 

The SNP routinely gets criticised (justifiably so) on the matter of the trans rapist who was held in a female prison in Scotland; James105 suggested that Starmer would inflict the same mistake on England - but he is ignorant of the fact that this has already occured in England under a Tory government.

Best comment I've listened to about Starmer.

 

"There's an Asda supermarket somewhere in the UK missing its manager" !!!!