Sir Keir Starmer: Labour Leader at The Ready.
It was strange in Prime Minister's Question Time yesterday, to see such an empty parliament. Empty because of COVID-19, however, there were some MPs on the front and backbenches from all parties.
Many MPs were asking questions via Zoom including the SNP leader, Ian Blackford. It was Sir Keir Stamer's first time at the opposition box and First Secretary and Foreign Minister, Dominic Raab, took his place on the government side (standing in for Boris).
When Sir Keir first became Labour leader, he probably, expected to be facing Boris, but with Bojo the Clown currently recovering from COVID-19 at Chequers, it was Boris' number two, Dominic Raab, who Sir Keir, was facing.
The whole Q and A time between the two men were, to say the least, polite, and, gentile.
Sir Keir standing at the opposition dispatch box, offered up his support for NHS and social care workers. He also, paid tribute, to those who had lost their lives in the battle against COVID. Sir Keir pledged to work with the government over COVID and Dominic Raab thanked him for that. However, Sir Keir accused the government of being late to act over COVID and late in getting their act together over supplies of PPE.
Raab and Starmer agreed on many things and the whole session ended well for both men. For Starmer, no doubt using his training as a barrister, he conferred to his notes, when questioning Raab. For the first appearance as Labour's new leader, Sir Keir put in a good effort. Raab handled the questioning well and perhaps one day may consider Boris' job.
Speaking to Sky's Sophie Ridge, Sir Keir said that, the thought of those who had died (be they NHS/social care workers or victims) made him shudder. It was revealed that Sir Keir had attacked the government over it's handling of the COVID crisis when the UK death rate past 10,000.
Sir Keir during the interview with Sophie Ridge, said the government needed to answer some serious questions over COVID. However, he conceded that now was not the time.
Sir Keir also waxed lyrical over the next four years until the next general election. His time as a leader will certainly be different from Jeremy Corbyn's time. Can Sir Keir, a leader, those on the left of the Labour party, regarded as a right-winger, bring Labour back to power, 4 years from now? Certainly, this time of how the Tories are handling the COVID crisis could play into Sir Keir hands.
