Sir Keir Starmer has warned that Labour could lock itself out of power for a generation if it fails to end internal divisions and focus on countering what he called a 'dangerous' Prime Minister Boris Johnson. In an interview with the Observer, the Labour leadership frontrunner urged the party to unite or face its longest period in opposition since the Second World War.
Starmer said the party had previously failed to expose Johnson, arguing it was wrong to 'caricature him as a clown'. He described the Prime Minister as 'a dangerous man' and 'without principles'. His intervention comes as voting begins in the Labour leadership contest, with ballots going out on Monday.
The former director of public prosecutions called on the party's half a million members to make a 'conscious choice' between infighting and unity. 'If we carry on divided, taking lumps out of each other... we'll lose the next general election,' he said. Starmer proposed creating a dedicated 'attack and rebuttal' unit within Labour's media team to improve the party's response to the Conservative government.
Starmer also confirmed he supports retaining free movement of people from the European Union, rejecting the government's proposed system based on earnings. The leadership contest sees Starmer with a clear lead in endorsements from constituency Labour parties, including many that previously backed Jeremy Corbyn.
