The Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said that the “country is ready” for a general election and has accused the Prime Minister of putting “vanity before country.”
This comes after Rishi Sunak said last week that it is his “working assumption” a general election will be called in the second half of 2024.
Sir Keir has said the country is drifting and he said that he wants a general election “as soon as possible.”
Speaking to Sky News’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme, Sir Keir said, “I have to say, the Prime Minister is sort of almost taking himself out of this — the ‘working assumption’ is as if it is somebody else’s working assumption.
“If he had a plan, he would set the date and he should set the date because at the moment it is very hard to see how him continuing in Government improves the lives of anybody in the country, so there is drift.
“I can’t help feeling that all he really wants to do is to get two years clocked up of his own premiership, and that means he is putting vanity before country.
“And so my challenge to him would be: if you’ve got a plan, set the date.
“If you haven’t got a plan, just get on with it as quickly as possible.”
Labour has pledged to invest £28 billion in green projects every year until 2030 , and the Conservative Party has taken aim at Sir Keir’s green pledge.
“It is absolutely clear to me that the Tories are trying to weaponise this issue, the £28 billion etcetera,” he told Sky News.
“This is a fight I want to have.
“If we can have a fight going into the election between an incoming Labour government that wants to invest in the future long-term strategy that will lower our bills and give us energy independence versus stagnation, more of the same under this Government — if they want that fight on borrow-to-invest, I’m absolutely up for that fight.”
Tory Party chairman Richard Holden said on Sunday, “This morning Keir Starmer recommitted to his 2030 energy promise and acknowledged it requires government spending to deliver.
“Labour’s own costing of this promise is £28 billion every year.
“Sir Keir Starmer was, again, not clear at all how he will pay for it given he also says he wants to keep debt falling – that can only mean thousands of pounds of higher taxes for every Briton.”
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