Starmer: I served Corbyn but never thought he would win

Sir Keir Starmer served under Jeremy Corbyn for almost five years. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Sir Keir Starmer admitted that he had never thought about Jeremy Corbyn. will win the 2019 general election and enter his shadow cabinet only to stop the Conservatives' Brexit plans.

The Labor leader said he did not vote for his predecessor but continued to serve as shadow Brexit secretary. because he felt a «responsibility» would be involved in deciding how the UK would leave the European Union.

Speaking on Keir Starmer: Up Close — Tonight, which airs on ITV1 on Thursday, Sir Keir refused to say whether he wants Mr Corbyn. to become prime minister, but said: “I didn’t think Labor could win the last election.”

He added: “Obviously I didn’t vote for Jeremy Corbyn in 2015 or 2016 year. On the contrary, I have resigned.”

Sir Keir resigned as shadow immigration minister in 2016 in protest at Mr Corbyn's actions. leadership, but later that year took up a new post with the Brexit brief, which he held for four years.

He said he felt a «responsibility» to take on the role and derail the Tories' Brexit policy. During this time he campaigned for a second referendum on Britain's membership of the EU.

“I thought that once the Brexit referendum took place in 2016, I am of the opinion that what followed in the coming years a few years, will be felt for generations,” Sir Keir said. “And I thought it was my responsibility to play a full role in this.”

Labor suffered a disastrous defeat in 2019 and after winning the 2020 leadership election, Sir Keir moved the party to the right. and distanced himself from Corbyn's policies.

He is likely to become the next prime minister, with opinion polls predicting a Labor majority at the next election this fall.

If he comes to power, Sir Keir said he was unlikely to be as bold as Tony Blair, the last Labor leader to win a general election, because he would inherit a «dire situation» from the Tories.

Sir Keir echoed comments by Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, that the Labor government does not intend to tax the richest and redistribute wealth to the poorer.

«This is not how I want to grow the economy,» Sir Keir told ITV. “Of course, I believe in redistribution, but I don’t think redistribution is some kind of one-word answer for millions of people across the country.

“We shouldn’t have to tell them, “Sorry, we can’t, we have there is no ambition for you to get such a
job where you are. So I'm afraid this is just a redistribution. I think it's fundamentally disrespectful to people.»

Ms Reeves hinted to The Telegraph at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday that Labor would cut taxes on high earners in a bid to boost economic growth.

Despite recent praise for former Conservative leader Margaret Thatcher, he also told ITV he believed she had torn communities apart.

“What she did was clarity of mission and goals. But in fact, what she did was very destructive,” he said.

The Labor leader previously wrote for The Telegraph that Mrs Thatcher sought to “bring Britain out of its stupor by unleashing our natural entrepreneurial spirit.” spirit.”

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