Sir Keir Starmer says Labor MPs should not be in a predicament if they want to join government | Political news

Sir Keir Starmer says Labor MPs should not be in confinement if they want to join government to help those struggling with the cost of living crisis.

The Labor leader told Sky News “you can’t sit around a cabinet table and then go to a line” in some of his most direct criticism of his MPs defying orders party by appearing at recent strikes.

When asked if there were any circumstances where he would stand on a fence, Mr. Keir said: “No. I want to be the prime minister of the country. I want to see a Labor government.

“The most important thing, the effective thing that we can do for working people who are really struggling, which I fully understand, is to have a Labor government and the role of government, The prime minister’s role is to solve problems. , no matter what sector it is in, and you can’t sit around a desk and then go to a select line.”

He said he supports the right to strike and understands why workers have been urged to act recently.

On July 27, Labor MP Sam Tarry was removed from the front bench after giving a television interview to Sky News about the hotline during a rail strike. Since then, many MPs have joined select lines.

Sir Keir said he had “nothing against Labor MPs and others expressing their support”.

He added: “But my view is that the most effective thing that I can do is win an election and have a Labor government so we can really deal with some of these problems. at the origin, because 10 years of low wages, the result is about the failure of this government economically, a profound failure because not only this year wages have stagnated, but 10 years or more .”

Sir Keir also defends his newly announced Plan to help reduce skyrocketing household billsincluding a freeze on energy prices.

Labor said it would be paid with an additional wind tax on the profits of oil and gas companies, which would remove a “major tax loophole” in the government wind tax rate announced at the beginning of the year. this year.

The plan has received some criticism about where the funding will come from and why it helps everyone instead of just lower income earners.

But the Labor leader said the policy would be “on the whole because so many households are affected” by the price cap rising to a predicted £4,200 in January.

He also said it would reduce inflation, which could rise to 12% by October, the Bank of England predicted last month.

“It has great benefits, but it does not allow the price increase to take place in October and January,” Sir Keir said.

“But it has another benefit, which is really important, is that it reduces inflation by 4% because it’s broad-based.”

The proposal is only six months at the moment but Sir Keir says the situation could then be different so it will have to be reconsidered.

“This is a six-month plan to get us through the winter, but don’t pretend it’s anything other than that,” he said.

“We’re going to need another plan in April. We need a medium- and long-term solution for that part.”

The proposal also includes insulation for 19 million homes across the UK over the next decade to reduce energy needs and reduce bills.

Read more:
What is a wind tax and has the UK tried it?
Credit Starmer for having a plan – but it’s a questionable short-term fix

“I will also say this: we are faced with a choice in this country, we allow oil and gas companies to continue to produce large quantities.

“Well, we’ve chosen this. We’ve come up with a total cost plan. The government has nothing to answer the question, what are you going to do with these?”