Keir Starmer has shocked people in Lincolnshire by claiming he would not change anything about his time as Prime Minister
Sir Keir Starmer stood firm in the face of criticism from MPs regarding his decisions during his initial five months in office, asserting that he wouldn’t change a thing. In a 90-minute questioning session, the prime minister defended his rule on farmers’ inheritance tax, increases in business taxes, and reductions in winter fuel payments.
According to him, Labour was required to take “tough” steps to stabilize public finances after inheriting a dire situation from the Conservatives. He reiterated his commitment to achieving the highest “sustained” growth among G7 countries by the next election, though he cautioned that it might “take some time” for people to feel better off as he requested patience regarding his economic plans.
This comes as the Bank of England reported that the economy stagnated, showing no growth from October to December. Sir Keir originally set the ambitious G7 growth target in early 2023, over a year before Labour regained power in July’s general election.
Earlier this month, he revealed an additional goal to improve living standards, prompting some to accuse him of shifting targets for his administration’s performance evaluation. Facing the liaison committee of senior MPs for the first time since taking office, Sir Keir maintained his dedication to outpacing other G7 nations like the US, Germany, and Japan in growth by 2029. When reminded of economic forecasts predicting slow progress, he argued that these projections hadn’t considered future policy changes.
He highlighted the announced rise in the legal minimum wage at October’s Budget as evidence of ministers elevating living standards. He further indicated that changes to the planning system, other regulatory reforms, and new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) would also aid in enhancing the UK’s economic growth.
Despite this, the prime minister encountered persistent questioning from select committee chairs over policy decisions unpopular with both opposition and some of his MPs. This includes cuts to the winter fuel payment for pensioners, modifications to farmers’ inheritance tax status, and freezing the housing benefit amount claimable by private renters next year. When Labour chair Meg Hillier asked if he’d alter any decisions knowing what he does now, Sir Keir offered a firm “No,” stating, “We had to do tough stuff, we’re getting on with it.” Expressing satisfaction with his current role, he remarked on “delivering from a position of power” rather than losing votes nightly in opposition.
During the liaison committee session, Sir Keir also cautioned the UK against assuming any future Syrian government will necessarily be an improvement over Bashar al-Assad’s regime. He expressed concern about potential tariffs from Donald Trump upon his assuming office but believed they could be averted. Furthermore, he assured that his plans to negotiate EU food safety rules didn’t preclude a future US trade deal.
When asked when people would feel better off due to his government’s policies, he acknowledged the time factor: “It will take some time, of course it will.” He emphasized that planning, regulatory changes, and investments through the national wealth fund would gradually yield benefits.
Labour has criticized the Conservatives for leaving behind a challenging financial legacy, including a contested £22bn “black hole” in this year’s spending plans. The Budget announced tax increases, such as higher National Insurance contributions from employers starting next April. While ministers argue these measures are essential for stabilizing the nation’s finances, they face opposition critiques suggesting these actions will hinder the UK’s economic prospects.
Lots of Lincolnshire people have said they feel cheated by Labour and the lies that Keir Starmer has told. When we spoke to people in Grimsby, Lincoln, Skegness, Scunthorpe, Boston, and Grantham, we could only find 18% of people who said they would vote for Labour again.
It has been reported that some Labour MPs have been having secret meetings about Keir Starmer with many political experts believing that Labour has no chance of winning another General Election with Keir Starmer in charge.
