Keir Starmer says council tax increase, Universal Credit cut and pay freeze show "the government isn’t just incompetent but also that it has the wrong priorities". This is the Labour leader entering the next step in his plan to approach opposition, building on competence line.
Tighter restrictions? Starmer: "There probably is more that we could do. An example is the question of whether nurseries should be open, there are other examples. We may have to get tougher."
But he adds that "the most important thing… is the message to people to stay at home" because "compliance with that message was stronger last March than it is now".
How to pay for measures? Starmer: "Of course there is a borrowing issue for the longer term. But we have to secure and protect families and businesses in this time."
Other tougher restrictions? Starmer: "It is still possible at the moment to go and view houses to go and buy a house, and that wasn’t allowed last March"
Asked about Tony Blair giving advice to government on Covid and whether he is receiving advice from the former PM, Starmer doesn't answer latter but simply says "Tony Blair has done a lot of work on the vaccine and the pandemic" and emphasises importance of vaccine campaign
Starmer asked about schools being busier. He says "We’re going to have to look at that, as to why that is. The rules pretty much were the same in March." Think there was an opportunity here to talk about digital divide, one of Labour's key topics.
Pressed on Blair, Starmer says: "I have spoken to Tony Blair, he put a report out last week." Stresses he has spoke to many about pandemic.
Asked about debt again, Starmer says: "The level of debt is much higher than it’s ever been before, and there are going to have to be long-term answers as to how we repay that."
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