Keir Starmer on the race to replace Boris Johnson: 'We need a general election'

Virgin Radio

11 Jul 2022, 09:39

Labour leader Keir Starmer joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about the whirlwind week of politics and the race to replace Boris Johnson.

It has been quite the week at number 10 with a landslide of resignations from key MPs in the Conservative party that eventually led to the resignation of party leader and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

This all began on Tuesday (5 July) when the health secretary and chancellor quit within 10 minutes of each other over Johnson’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations against a senior MP.

Typically, when a Conservative leader stands down, an election for a new party is triggered. Under current rules, candidates need the support of eight Conservative MPs to enter the race, and once they have been declared, Tory MPs will hold a series of votes until only two remain. Whoever wins will then become leader of the party and be asked by the Queen to form a government.

When a prime minister resigns, however, there is not automatically a general election- but the new prime minister could choose to call one, and Keir Starmer thinks this is the only way forward.

Speaking to Chris, he said: “I don't think just changing the person at the top of the Tory party is going to fix the massive problems they've gotten us into. We need a much more fundamental change. We need a general election, we need to change government, we need a fresh start.

“You can't do that with this tired out of ideas, government, even if you change the person at the top. So, we want more fundamental change than, we want a fresh start, and that's only going to happen if we have a general election.”

He added: “They are all over the place. They've left us with a stagnant economy, you can't get a passport, you can't get a flight, and everything you want to do you can't do because of prices inflation. Everything's going through the roof.”

Currently in the race for the PM position in the Tory party are Ex-Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Attorney General Suella Braverman, former Equalities minister Kemi Badenoch and Foreign Affairs Committee chair Tom Tugendhat. Two former health secretaries, Sajid Javid and Jeremy Hunt, along with Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

Other possible contenders include International Trade Minister Penny Mordaunt and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

However, Keir believes Labour is ready to take the reins after a turbulent couple of years.

He said: “We’re ready. We put our house in order. We've changed the Labour Party, and we're confident we're united and fighting fit, and we want to get in so we can show that we can make a real difference.

"So, I say to any of the candidates open challenge, bring it on.”

This comes after Starmer was cleared by Durham police of breaking lockdown rules following an inquiry into an event at a Labour MP’s office in April 2021.

The labour leader previously said he would have quit his role if he had been fined by Police and told Chris just how important that outcome was for him.

He explained: “It really mattered to me on Friday, because one of the things I hate most in politics is when people say ‘You're all the same. You make the rules, you break the rules, and you're all the same.’

“This isn't about being sanctimonious and, you know, I've got lots of things wrong over the years and done lots of things in my life and got lots of things wrong. But it's about a sense of how you behave, whether you think honesty and integrity matters.

“My worry is not so much about me but when people don't believe the politics.”

He added: “Incredible, really good things from come from politics, but you've got to believe in politics. And if we succumb to this slippery slope that everybody is the same, then people start disbelieving in politics.”

For Starmer, it’s about restoring this trust in politics and politicians because he believes it can make a difference, and he also believes he is the man for the job.

He concluded: “I don’t want to be Leader of the Opposition, because it’s the opposition. I want us to be in power so we can actually change lives for the better. That’s the most important thing to me in politics.”

For more great live sessions and interviews listen to The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky, weekdays from 6:30am on Virgin Radio, or catch up on-demand here.