TAX TALK Keir Starmer vows to protect workers from tax rises but refuses to commit to pensions triple lock in Sun’s politics show
SIR Keir Starmer took a pounding from Sun readers tonight over whether Britain could trust him.
The wannabe PM refused to commit to protecting the triple lock for 12 million pensioners - warning there were tough decisions ahead.
And he warned taxes would go up under Labour - but vowed to protect Britain's hardest workers who are already "overburdened".
He also admitted he never believed Jeremy Corbyn would win when he told the public to vote for him - attempting to bat away accusations of dishonesty.
The Labour boss also confessed that he was paid to defend terrorist group Hizb ut-tahrir, but said he had no regrets representing “wrong ‘uns” as a lawyer.
He defended a slew of policy u-turns since becoming Labour leader on The Sun’s new political show NEVER MIND THE BALLOTS – while he dodged questions on trans, taking drugs and his sex life.
In a sweeping 45 minute grilling Starmer:
- REFUSED to say whether he ever took drugs while a jobbing lawyer
- DEFEND representing terrorists as a lawyer
- INSISTED we could not go back into the EU despite his love of Remain
- URGED Nike to change the hated England kit and make football shirts cheaper for fans
- STRUGGLED to explain if "women could have testicles"
- ADMITTED he had not seen evidence Angela Rayner did not dodgy Capital Gains Tax
- INSISTED he only knew of Jimmy Savile accusations after the monster died
Quizzed why he had torn up so many of his promises in the past, Sir Keir insisted he is being honest with voters now.
But he warned: “I've got a choice to make with the electorate, which is do I be up front before the election about what we actually can afford and what we can't or do I pretend we can deliver something which I know we actually can't."
Confronted with polling data that showed many Brits saw him as untrustworthy, Sir Keir insisted: "I'm in the camp of saying look, what I don't want to have is a situation where, after the election, we are breaking our promises."
In news that will rile pensioners, the Labour chief repeatedly refused to be drawn on the triple lock that sees pensions rise by inflation or wage rate every year.
He warned: "Obviously, we'll have to see what the state of the economy is as we go into the election, we will publish all of our plans as we go in and answer that question, but I believe in the triple lock."
Starmer also appeared to u-turn again on his views on gender and was once again unable to define what a woman is as he insisted the whole issue has to be "treated with respect".The Labour boss has been trying to clarify his views on gender since 2021 when he struggled to say whether or not a woman could have a penis.
This year, he said that 99.9 per cent of women "haven't got a penis" and also rowed back on plans to introduce a self-ID system for transgender people.
But asked if he still believes “women can have testicles”, he said only a very small number were affected.
He said: "The whole issue here has to be treated with respect and dignity. And the Labour Party has fought for women's rights all its life and will continue to do so."
Pressed on his U-turn on gender reform, the Labour leader pointed to what happened in Scotland, before adding: "In the real world outside of politics when circumstances change, people adapt their position."
Asked again about his position on trans women and whether they can be defined as women, Sir Keir said: "Everybody knows there is a difference between sex and gender. I absolutely understand that and respect that. We will not be going down the road of self identification."
He went on: "As you well know the overwhelming majority of women, it's a biological issue...
"There's a small number of people in this country who are born into a gender they don't identify with and they often go through pretty hellish abuse.
KEIR ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS
Sir Keir Starmer refused to reveal how many women he had slept with - refusing to follow Nick Clegg into revealing his sexual encounters.
The Labour leader batted away a question about any past conquests as he was quizzed on the Never Mind The Ballots show.
Ex-Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg revealed in 2012 in an interview with Piers Morgan for GQ magazine that he had slept with "no more than" thirty women.
But the steadfast Labour chief said: "I'm not going to answer that one".
The party leader also refused to follow in the footsteps of Theresa May in revealing the naughtiest thing he had done. The ex-PM once revealed that she had run through a field of wheat as a child.
He added that no politician ever gives "an honest answer when asked".
In a quick-fire round for the new political show that will be screened on The Sun's YouTube channel, he revealed his favourite crisps were salt and vinegar.
Despite his packed schedule, he told how he had found time to read and was currently engrossed in Beyond The Sea by Melissa Bailey.
His favourite tipple at the end of a long day is a Pale Ale and he also told how he doesn't have any tattoos.
The vegetarian also told how his favourite curry was a chana masala or a vegetable curry.
Sir Keir also told how he wasn't religious so not following in the footsteps of former Labour leader Tony Blair.
He said: "No, I'm not. I'm a great believer in faith. But I'm not personally religious."
And Starmer gave his most comprehensive explanation yet on the CPS’s failure to prosecute Jimmy Savile while he was in charge.
Starmer insisted: "The first I knew about this was after he died. I asked for a review into whether his case had ever come on to the desks of any of my prosecutors anywhere in the country.
"As a result of my review, it transpired that in Surrey and Sussex somebody had come forward to make an allegation but the local prosecutors in Surrey and Sussex had taken a decision along with the police, not to prosecute.
"I looked into that after the event, I hadn't seen these cases, they didn't come to my desk."
He added: "That's why having reviewed the cases I asked my principal legal adviser to review the cases.
"I issued on behalf of the service an apology because the service had not connected the two cases together.
"In each case, the complainant said they didn't want to go on with the case.
"So the question is whether that could have been done differently, but then you've got to be really careful here Harry. This did not cross my desk."
He went on: "It's been weaponised by Boris Johnson."
Asked if it was a smear, he said: "Well, you’ve heard the way Boris Johnson put it to me. You saw what happened in the street just weeks later, when there was an incident in the street with people coming over to me as a direct result of what he said."
Separately Sir Keir defended advocating on behalf of terrorists - including Jihadi group Hizb ut-Tahir who were proscribed as a terrorist organisation this year.
He insisted the job of a lawyer is to work for whoever your client is - even when they're the bad guy. But he admitted he was paid to help the group in the European courts.
NEVER MIND THE BALLOTS
The Sun's brand new politics show for all
You can watch Starmer take on the issues that matter right now on thesun.co.uk and The Sun’s YouTube channel.
In a massive year for the country, Never Mind the Ballots, airing every Thursday at 8pm, will home the biggest political interviews.
Sun editor Harry Cole will take on the biggest faces in Politics today - alongside Sun readers.
Our panel of voters have real-life experience of working in law and order, defence, schools, the NHS and running their own businesses, from a plumbing firm to driving a black cab.
The show will look at what readers really want from the next Government and who, if anyone, can win their vote.
The programme will also feature The Sun’s award-winning Lobby team for their analysis and insight.
This includes the Sun on Sunday’s Political Editor Kate Ferguson, who will be reading the temperature in Westminster with a weekly look at the Political Weather.
The opposition chief said: "I was chief prosecutor for five years. I prosecuted with my team nearly a million cases a year, including terrorists, murderers and drug dealers.
"I was a lawyer before that and in the legal world, particularly if you're doing criminal law, you represent people you don't agree with.
"You know how it works in our legal system, it is very important that everybody is represented."
KEIR TACKLES YOUR QUESTIONS
The Sun's Harry Cole grills Keir Starmer with your quickfire questions:
Harry: "What is your favourite crisp flavour?
Sir Keir: "Salt and vinegar."
Harry: "Curry order?"
Sir Keir: "Well I'm vegetarian, so chana masala, vegetable curries... something like that."
Harry: "What is the worst date you ever went on?
Sir Keir: "I am not going to reveal that on your programme."
Harry: "How much is a pint of milk?"
Sir Keir: "A pint of milk is about £1.10."
Harry: "Do you have any tattoos?"
Sir Keir: "No, I don't."
Harry: "What is your weirdest habit?"
Sir Keir: "I don't know what my weirdest habit is..."
Harry: "What was the last book you read?"
Sir Keir: "I am reading ... there is book by Melissa Bailey at the moment that I'm reading, Beyond the Sea, which is an intriguing book so I'm in the middle of that. I haven't finished it yet but I'm halfway through."
Harry: "Your tipple after a hard day in the office?"
Sir Keir: "Pale Ale"
Harry: "How many people have you slept with?"
Sir Keir: "I'm not going to answer that one."
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