Sir Keir's answer on that point was that Labour would have to take "strong action" on energy support, housing, and growing the economy. It's a strategy which raises accusations of hypocrisy given his decision in May to announce that the difficult financial situation means it's likely his leadership campaign pledge to abolish tuition fees would be dropped - particularly given the lack of detail on what support he would offer students instead. He talked about two of the group he'd just met, 18-year-olds Ruby and Anne-Marie, both planning to study law at university- but forced to take a year out first in order to save up the money to go. Sir Keir argued that while he was reflecting on his own upbringing it's a situation shared by many young people finding their own hopes and aspirations "throttled" as a result of the cost of living crisis. I put it to him that many would find this argument a bit rich, given that his own university education was paid for by the state long before the introduction of tuition fees - fees which he has notoriously U-turned on scrapping. This morning his party put out a press release claiming Sir Keir wouldn't have been able to afford to move to Leeds to study law in the current economic climate, because his family didn't have the money to support him to go. It's the kind of seat Labour are now on track to win at the next general election - if the polls are correct.Īnd among the struggling single mothers and small business owners who came to meet him at a seafront café today he had a receptive audience for his message about the government's failure to support people through the cost of living crisis - and Labour's plans to deliver economic growth. The local demographics are being shaken up by an influx of younger people driven out of nearby Brighton and Hove by expensive housing costs, as well as those who've decided to swap commuting life in London for working from home by the beach. The Labour leader is technically on a mini break in Sussex too (though he tells me it's too cold for a dip in the sea) - but took the morning out to hit the campaign trail in a historically true blue area which is looking much pinker since the local council fell to Labour for the first time in 2022. In his dark shirt and smart jacket Sir Keir Starmer was easy to spot among the holiday makers flocking to Worthing seafront in the August sunshine.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |