Sir Keir Starmer swipes at Rishi Sunak for ‘stabbing Boris Johnson in the back’ and mocks him for getting ‘thrashed’ by Liz Truss in this summer’s Tory leadership election as Labour leader ‘welcomes’ new PM
- Sir Keir Starmer takes series of swipes at Rishi Sunak as he ‘welcomes’ new PM
- Labour leader accuses Mr Sunak of having ‘stabbed Boris Johnson in the back’
- He also mocks PM for getting ‘thrashed’ by Liz Truss in Tory contest this summer
Sir Keir Starmer took a series of swipes at ‘ruthless’ Rishi Sunak today as the Labour leader ‘welcomed’ the new Prime Minister.
At a meeting of his shadow cabinet, Sir Keir accused Mr Sunak of having ‘stabbed Boris Johnson in the back’ when he quit as Chancellor earlier this year.
The Labour leader also mocked the new PM for getting ‘thrashed’ by Liz Truss in this summer’s Tory leadership contest – before her disastrous time in No10 offered Mr Sunak a second attempt to seize power.
Sir Keir offered his public congratulations to Mr Sunak this morning shortly after the new PM had been officially appointed by King Charles at Buckingham Palace.
At the shadow cabinet meeting later, the Labour leader also welcomed the significance of Mr Sunak being the first PM of British-Asian origin.
But he tore into Mr Sunak’s record from when he was in charge of the Treasury as Chancellor.
Sir Keir Starmer, pictured with his wife Victoria at last night’s Pride of Britain Awards, took a series of swipes at ‘ruthless’ Rishi Sunak today
The Labour leader mocked the new PM for getting ‘thrashed’ by Liz Truss in this summer’s Tory leadership contest
According to a readout of the meeting between Sir Keir and his top team, the Labour leader noted how Mr Sunak ‘has only ever fought one leadership election battle his entire life and “got thrashed” by Liz Truss’.
‘No wonder he doesn’t want to fight a general election,’ Sir Keir added.
He also claimed Mr Sunak could be ‘ruthless’, telling shadow ministers: ‘Rishi Sunak stabbed Boris Johnson in the back when he thought he could get his job.
‘And in the same way, he will now try and disown the Tory record of recent years and recent months and pretend that he is a new broom.
‘But he was also the Chancellor who left Britain facing the lowest growth of any developed country, the highest inflation and millions of people worried about their bills.
‘And now he plans to make working people pay the price for the Tories’ crashing the economy.’
Mr Sunak quit as Mr Johnson’s Chancellor in July, which played a significant part in the former PM’s fall from power.
In the subsequent Tory leadership contest, Mr Sunak came a distant second to Ms Truss.
But he has finally been able to achieve his dream of becoming PM following the chaotic collapse of Ms Truss’s administration in 44 days.
Mr Sunak quit as Boris Johnson’s Chancellor in July, which played a significant part in the former PM’s fall from power
Both Sir Keir and his deputy, Angela Rayner, yesterday reiterated Labour’s demand for an immediate general election after Mr Sunak was confirmed as the new Tory leader.
Mr Sunak has now become the third Tory leader since September 6, which was Mr Johnson’s last day as premier before he handed over to Ms Truss.
It prompted Ms Rayner to fume at the Tories for ‘doling out prime ministers every month’.
‘I think everybody who I’ve spoken to, the public, have said we should be having a general election,’ she said.
‘There is no mandate now. The Conservatives have completely broken their promises, broken our economy, and now they want to see a general election.
‘They can’t just keep doling out prime ministers every month because they’re in total chaos and they’ve lost control of the markets and haven’t got any ideas of how they’re going to tackle the cost of living that people are facing.’
But senior Tory MP Simon Hoare, a key ally of Mr Sunak, said the incoming PM had told his party he would not give in to Labour’s demand for an early general election.
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