The Labor leader defended his party’s proposals for a six-month freeze on energy bills at the current £1,971 cap, funded in part by the extension of the windfall tax on oil and gas profits. Answering questions from listeners on Radio 5 live, he said: “I think for the millions of people who won’t be able to pay those bills, hearing Labor say we’re going to freeze those bills, we’re not going to let that happen and we’re going to use money from a windfall tax on the oil and gas companies, which have made a lot more money – a lot more than they expected – to pay for it, that’s a huge relief. “I don’t accept that he’s kicking the can down the road.” Some experts and think tanks have warned that such a plan would prove inadequate on the scale of the cost of living crisis, with a Nicky Campbell phone-in listener urging the Labor leader to be more radical. On long-term plans, he said: “I accept the challenge that something has to be done in April.” Starmer, who will turn 60 on Friday, said while he did not claim “extreme poverty” he knew what it was like to not be able to pay bills, saying as a child he remembered having his phone cut off for “months”. . He also described himself as a “proud trade unionist” and said: “No one has been fired for going on a picket line.” He pointed out that former shadow transport secretary Sam Tarry was sacked for giving media interviews he was not authorized to do and for doing politics “on the hoof”. Asked if a shadow minister would be allowed to stand in the queue, he said: “No, look, each case will be dealt with as it comes, that’s what we’ve done in relation to these cases.” He added: “I completely understand what people are going through and I support the right to strike.” It was just a ‘role issue’. “I want to be Labor prime minister. I don’t think the prime minister’s role is to have a cabinet meeting and then go on a picket line.” He denied a listener’s claims that Starmer was moving away from Labor values to make the party more electable. “The arguments and policies we are putting forward are absolutely fundamental Labor values,” he said. It was vital to transform Labor after the 2019 election defeat, he added. “We have lost four elections in a row and that means we have let down the workers. I’m not going to let it happen again.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He added: “If you lose that badly, you put a mirror up, you look at the Labor Party. It’s not the electorate that needs to change, it’s the Labor party that needs to change.” The UK had to make Brexit a success, he said. “We will not return to the EU. Now we are gone. We have to make it work. “We have the protocol in place and we should build on it, not tear it up,” he said. “The government said they were going to tear it up – that’s what’s ruining our reputation internationally.”
title: “Keir Starmer Denies Energy Bills Plan Kicks The Can Down The Road Uk Cost Of Living Crisis Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-30” author: “Josh Negrete”
The Labor leader defended his party’s proposals for a six-month freeze on energy bills at the current £1,971 cap, funded in part by the extension of the windfall tax on oil and gas profits. Answering questions from listeners on Radio 5 live, he said: “I think for the millions of people who won’t be able to pay those bills, hearing Labor say we’re going to freeze those bills, we’re not going to let that happen and we’re going to use money from a windfall tax on the oil and gas companies, which have made a lot more money – a lot more than they expected – to pay for it, that’s a huge relief. “I don’t accept that he’s kicking the can down the road.” Some experts and think tanks have warned that such a plan would prove inadequate on the scale of the cost of living crisis, with a Nicky Campbell phone-in listener urging the Labor leader to be more radical. On long-term plans, he said: “I accept the challenge that something has to be done in April.” Starmer, who will turn 60 on Friday, said while he did not claim “extreme poverty” he knew what it was like to not be able to pay bills, saying as a child he remembered having his phone cut off for “months”. . He also described himself as a “proud trade unionist” and said: “No one has been fired for going on a picket line.” He pointed out that former shadow transport secretary Sam Tarry was sacked for giving media interviews he was not authorized to do and for doing politics “on the hoof”. Asked if a shadow minister would be allowed to stand in the queue, he said: “No, look, each case will be dealt with as it comes, that’s what we’ve done in relation to these cases.” He added: “I completely understand what people are going through and I support the right to strike.” It was just a ‘role issue’. “I want to be Labor prime minister. I don’t think the prime minister’s role is to have a cabinet meeting and then go on a picket line.” He denied a listener’s claims that Starmer was moving away from Labor values to make the party more electable. “The arguments and policies we are putting forward are absolutely fundamental Labor values,” he said. It was vital to transform Labor after the 2019 election defeat, he added. “We have lost four elections in a row and that means we have let down the workers. I’m not going to let it happen again.” Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. He added: “If you lose that badly, you put a mirror up, you look at the Labor Party. It’s not the electorate that needs to change, it’s the Labor party that needs to change.” The UK had to make Brexit a success, he said. “We will not return to the EU. Now we are gone. We have to make it work. “We have the protocol in place and we should build on it, not tear it up,” he said. “The government said they were going to tear it up – that’s what’s ruining our reputation internationally.”
