Keir Starmer accused Boris Johnson of being more interested in “blaming everyone else” instead of trying to resolve the railway strikes, as the Labor leader has repeatedly criticized the prime minister for not doing his job.
Accepting directly the government’s attempts to portray Labor as complicit in stopping rail transport because of the party’s ties to unions, Starmer used the prime minister’s questions to portray Johnson as selfish and passive.
While Johnson has repeatedly tried to condemn Starmer for not having the audacity to stop Labor MPs from supporting the RMT union and joining the picket lines in the first of three planned railway strikes on Tuesday, Starmer said is a clear attempt to divert any responsibility.
“If he is sincere about preventing strikes, can the prime minister tell this house how many meetings he or his transport secretary had with railway workers this week to stop the strikes?” Starmer asked.
After Johnson avoided the question, Starmer continued: “Here he is – the Prime Minister of this country and his transport secretary did not attend any meetings, did not talk or moved a finger to stop these strikes.
The Labor leader contrasted this with Johnson’s presence at a Conservative fundraiser on Monday night, at which a dinner with the prime minister was sold at auction for £ 120,000.
“If there is money coming along the way, he is there. If this is good for the state, it is nowhere to be found. So instead of blaming everyone else, why didn’t he do his job, go around the table and let the trains go? Starmer asked.
Johnson said: “As he knows, the railway companies have to negotiate. This is their job, “before reiterating his criticism of Labor MPs who support the strikers.
Starmer replied, “He can’t help himself. The country is facing a huge problem and all it is interested in is blaming everyone else. Can’t he hear his country shouting: keep up the good work?
The Labor leader contrasts with the government’s calls for restraint on the part of workers in seeking wage increases with reports that Johnson personally lobbied for a change in the rules that would allow UK-based bankers to have bigger bonuses.
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“Why is his government more focused on increasing the pay of bankers than the pay of those who run the country?” Starmer asked.
As Labor’s confidence that it will win a by-election in Wakefield on Thursday, one of two seats the Tories could lose that night, Starmer scoffed at the fact that the Conservative candidate in West Yorkshire, like Johnson, , is facing a “no” vote of confidence from colleagues, in this case as a council leader.
“Does the prime minister have a personal interest in seeing whether the public will vote for the Tories, which even his own country thinks is not ready?” Starmer asked.
Johnson replied: “The leader of the Labor Party did not even have the courage to speak out against the railway strikes.
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