Sir Keir Starmer thought-about quitting after 2021 native elections and Hartlepool loss

May 01, 2024 at 8:16 PM

Sir Keir Starmer has admitted he thought-about quitting as Labour chief after the celebration misplaced each the Hartlepool by-election and council seats in 2021.

Speaking to Sky News political editor Beth Rigby ahead of tomorrow’s contests, Sir Keir known as it “a low point”, along with his celebration recording a web lack of eight councils, in addition to the North East constituency – which had been held by Labour because the Seventies, however went to the Conservatives on the evening.

“I did [consider quitting] because I didn’t feel that I should be bigger than the party and that if I couldn’t bring about the change, perhaps there should be a change,” he stated.

“But actually, in the end, I reflected on it, talked to very many people and doubled down and determined, no, it is the change in the Labour Party we need.”

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Sir Keir stated he felt “vindicated” by his determination to remain on “because we are now a changed party, nobody argues with that”.

He added: “And the biggest change is we are now a party that confidently and proudly says country first, party second. That is a changed Labour Party.”

Voters might be heading to the polls on Thursday for a spread of native council and mayoral elections, in addition to a by-election in Blackpool South following the resignation of its Tory MP Scott Benton.

But reflecting on the losses his celebration suffered the final time the seats had been up for grabs, the Labour chief informed Beth Rigby: “Oh sure, it was the low level and it actually hit me as a result of my job was to show across the Labour Party and take us from defeat to success.

“Losing hurts and it should hurt in politics, because this isn’t about me, it is about whether the Labour Party can come back into government and serve working people. So yes, it was a very, very low moment.”

However, Sir Keir stated the expertise – which got here round a yr after he took over the celebration and whereas Boris Johnson was having fun with a surge in reputation in so-called Red Wall seats – led him to “double down and turbocharge the change that we needed”.

“So, in that respect, retrospectively, it was a good thing because it forced that onward pace, but I am not going to pretend it wasn’t a really hard time.”

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Thursday’s vote is predicted to be a distinct story for Labour, which has come out of the shadows of their worst-ever loss within the 2019 common election and when they’re hovering forward of the Conservatives within the polls.

But Sir Keir wouldn’t put a goal on the variety of council seats or mayoralties he hoped to win by the tip of the counts, saying as a substitute he simply wished his celebration to “show progress”.

“We have to show that people have the confidence and the trust to vote for this changed Labour Party so we do need to show that progress,” he stated.

“The polls don’t predict the future, the polls don’t change the country, but I’ll be looking for that progress because it is really important in the locals and the mayoral elections, but also because of the story it tells for the change we need at the general election.”

Meanwhile, the Conservatives had been enjoying down their prospects forward of Thursday’s vote, with Chancellor Jeremy Hunt saying he anticipated it to be a “difficult day” for his celebration.

Speaking to The Politics Hub With Sophy Ridge, he stated: “We are very realistic. We have been in power a long time and a government in office can often get punished in the local elections.

“It occurred to Tony Blair in 2001 and 2005, and we expect it to be a troublesome day tomorrow.”

Mr Hunt added: “Tony Blair lost… councillors and David Cameron lost hundreds of councillors in the run up to the 2015 election, so we are expecting to see significant losses, that often happens in local elections.

“But what we are saying to folks is, look, this can be a second the place you wish to categorical a view in regards to the nationwide image, however truly the native companies you rely upon might be determined by the way you vote.

“And if you want better public services as independently audited time after time, and lower taxes, then you should vote Conservative tomorrow.”

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