Sir Keir Starmer tonight vowed to ‘stop the chaos’ in a swipe at the Tories and the SNP as he pledged to bring ‘change’ to Britain if he becomes PM.
In a response to Rishi Sunak’s shock announcement that the general election will be on 4 July, the Labour leader delivered a short address in central London.
Sir Keir claimed the upcoming contest was ‘a moment the country needs – and has been waiting for’ as he urged voters to back his party, which currently holds a huge lead in opinion polls.
Ahead of the looming six-week battle between the UK’s political parties, the Labour leader said: ‘It will feel like a long campaign – I’m sure of that.
‘But no matter what else is said and done. That opportunity for change is what this election is about.’
Sir Keir Starmer tonight vowed to ‘stop the chaos’ in a swipe at the Tories and the SNP as he pledged to bring ‘change’ to Britain if he becomes PM
In a response to Rishi Sunak’s shock announcement that the general election will be on 4 July, the Labour leader delivered a short address in central London
Sir Keir claimed the upcoming contest was ‘a moment the country needs – and has been waiting for’ as he urged voters to back his party, which currently holds a huge poll lead
Sir Keir used the word ‘change’ eight times in his 610-word address as he delivered a clear message to voters to end 14 years of Conservative rule at Westminster.
He added: ‘We totally reject the Tory view that economic strength is somehow gifted from those at the top.
‘Over the past 14 years – through all the crises we have had to face – sticking with this idea has left our country exposed, insecure and unable to unlock the potential of every community.
‘But a vote for Labour is a vote to turn the page on all that. A vote for change.’
Sir Keir blasted the Conservatives’ record in power, saying: ‘Look around our country. The sewage in our rivers. People waiting on trolleys in A&E.
‘Crime virtually unpunished. Mortgages and food prices – through the roof. It’s all – every bit of it – a direct result of the Tory chaos in Westminster.’
‘Time and again, they pursue their own interests. Rather than tackling the issues that affect your family.
‘And if they get another five years, they will feel entitled to carry on exactly as they are. Nothing will change.’
The Labour leader promised, if he becomes Britain’s next PM, he and his party would govern ‘with a new spirit of service’.
He highlighted his party’s promise to slash NHS waiting times, create a new ‘Border Security Command’ to tackle the small boats crisis, and create ‘Great British Energy’, a publicly owned energy company, to ‘cut your bills for good’.
Sir Keir spoke shortly after Mr Sunak had used a speech in Downing Street to stun Westminster and announce the general election date as Thursday, 4 July
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey addressed party supporters in Camberley, which is in Cabinet minister Michael Gove’s Surrey Heath constituency, following the PM’s announcement
Sir Keir also took a dig at the SNP as he drew battle lines with the separatist party, ahead of what is likely to be a bitter fight between the two parties in Scotland.
‘Country first, party second,’ he said. ‘A rejection of the gesture politics you will see in this campaign, I have no doubt from the Tories and from the SNP.’
He continued: ‘Service of our country is the reason – and the only reason – why I am standing here now – asking for your vote.
‘And I believe with patience, determination and that commitment to service there is so much pride and potential we can unlock across our country.
‘So – here it is – the future of the country – in your hands. On 4 July you have the choice. And together, we can stop the chaos.
‘We can turn the page. We can start to rebuild Britain. And change our country.’
Sir Keir spoke shortly after Mr Sunak had used a speech in Downing Street to stun Westminster and announce the general election date as Thursday, 4 July.
As his suit became drenched, and with protesters playing the New Labour anthem of ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ in the background, Mr Sunak pointed to inflation being ‘back to normal’ and insisted he was ‘stopping the boats’.
‘The question now is how and who do you trust to turn that foundation into a secure future… now is the moment for Britain to decide its future,’ he said.
Underlining global threats from Russia and China, Mr Sunak portrayed himself as the safe choice for voters.
‘On July 5, either Sir Keir Starmer or I will be prime minister. He has shown time and time again that he will take the easy way out and do anything to get power,’ the PM said.
‘If he was happy to abandon all the promises he made to become Labour leader once he got the job, how can you know that he won’t do exactly the same thing if he were to become prime minister?’
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey said: ‘This general election is a chance to kick Rishi Sunak’s appalling Conservative Government out of office and deliver the change the public is crying out for.
‘For years the Conservative Party has taken voters for granted and lurched from crisis to crisis while the problems facing the country are getting so much worse.
‘The NHS has been brought to its knees, people’s mortgages and rents have soared by hundreds of pounds a month, and water companies have got away with pumping filthy sewage into our rivers and beaches.
‘All because this Conservative Government is more interested in fighting between themselves than standing up for the needs of the country.
‘Every vote for the Liberal Democrats at this election is a vote for a strong local champion who will stand up for your community and health services.
‘It’s clear that in many seats across the country, the best way to beat the Conservatives is to vote for the Liberal Democrats.’