Labour’s leader rejects pact claim

LABOUR leader Sir Keir Starmer has rejected claims his party has formed a pact with the Liberal Democrats in today’s council elections.

Sir Keir dismissed the claims made by Tory chairman Oliver Dowden that Labour was not standing candidates in areas where the Libdems would be popular, in exchange for them returning the favour in the North of England.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain, he said: “No, we haven’t and we are actually standing more candidates in this election than any other party. and more than we’ve stood for many years. We haven’t got a pact with the Lib Dems.”

He added: “I’m afraid I don’t take what Oliver Dowden says very seriously these days, but the fact that a few days before the local elections the only thing he wants to talk about is a Lib Dem/labour pact rather than the issue, which is the cost of living, tells you everything about a Government that’s absolutely out of ideas and is completely out of touch.”

Sir Keir also rejected claims that he broke lockdown rules when he had a takeaway and beer with colleagues during an election campaign session last April, and the police had not been in touch with him.

Despite criticising the Chancellor for his rise in National Insurance, the Labour leader refused to say whether his party would reverse it if they were in power.

He said he would take stronger action to tackle fraud in Covid support schemes but would not spell out how he would raise extra revenue generated by the health and care levy.