Sir Keir Starmer has dismissed Nigel Farage’s claim to be leader of opposition, saying “there are only two candidates for prime minister”.
Speaking to journalists at a campaign event in the East Midlands, Sir Keir said: “There are only two candidates for prime minister, Rishi Sunak and myself, and that’s why it’s important for me to focus on that choice as I go around the country talking to voters.”
Asked to react to Mr Farage’s challenge to debate him head to head, Sir Keir said: “I don’t think it’s for Nigel Farage to declare himself leader of the opposition. I am actually leader of the opposition just at the moment, and I’m hoping to change that.
“My focus is on talking to the voters directly. That’s why I’m out and about every day, because it’s their concerns. And at the end of the day this is a contest which is a choice between five more years of Conservative government, after the failure of the last 14 years, or turning a page and a Labour government will rebuild the country.”
The Labour leader’s comments came after a YouGov poll found Reform UK has overtaken the Conservatives for the first time, prompting Nigel Farage to declare: “We are now the opposition”.
Asked earlier if he fancied facing Mr Farage across the dispatch box, Sir Keir said: “Nigel Farage can make his own predictions about his own future.”
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
