OPINION - Talking Point: What do you think of Sir Keir Starmer’s pledges?
The “backbone of the Labour manifesto” will be based around five key points of growth, including energy, healthcare, crime, and children’s futures, the party’s leader announced in a keynote speech in Manchester.
Sir Keir said the “pillars of the next Labour government”, if he wins, are to:
Secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 by the end of a Labour first term
Make Britain a clean energy superpower
Build an NHS fit for the future
Make Britain’s streets safe and tackle violence against women and girls
Break down barriers to opportunity for every child by reforming childcare and education
â£Critics have highlighted the omission of illegal migration, which does feature among Rishi Sunak’s own five pledges.
Last month, the Tory leader set out his commitments for the year ahead as Prime Minister:
To halve inflation this year to ease the cost of living and give people financial security
To grow the economy, creating better-paid jobs and opportunity across the country
To ensure our national debt is falling, to secure the future of public services
NHS waiting lists to fall and people will get the care they need more quickly
New laws to stop small boats, making sure that, if you come to this country illegally, you are detained and swiftly removed
Following the speech given to an audience in Stratford, east London, in early January, Labour was quick to accuse Mr Sunak of making easy promises he would “struggle not to keep”.
What do you think of Sir Keir Starmer’s pledges and how do they compare to Rishi Sunak’s five?⣠Tell us what you think in the comments or on our Instagram for the chance to be featured on the Evening Standard website.
On Tuesday, we asked: Do you think Met Police officers should have a 10% pay rise to encourage new recruits?
‘No’ was the answer from a number of users on social media, who criticised the force’s performance. Simon Lambert suggested on Facebook: “I think their first move should be to sack the multiple bad apples that keep appearing in their ranks.”
On Instagram, f.sk._ was in favour: “Yes. I think ALL emergency services should get a pay rise including the police, NHS, fire service.”