Sir Keir Starmer accuses PM of ‘catalogue of mistakes’ that cost lives

Sir Keir Starmer has said that the “human cost” of a delayed lockdown is the fault of the PM and the Chancellor in a speech to UK business leaders

Sir Keir Starmer told members of the Confederation of British Industry that the current Conservative Government has cost “thousands of lives” throughout the nation by rejecting advice from their scientific advisers and refusing to put in place a two-week circuit breaker lockdown earlier on in October.

The Labour leader has said that there had been only 11 deaths on September the 21st when Sage made the initial suggestion for further lockdown restrictions, but 326 deaths have followed on Saturday when Boris Johnson announced a longer, four-week circuit breaker lockdown.

This comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak has stressed that these new COVID-19 restrictions are time limited, and he has told the BBC that the government’s “expectation and firm hope is that the measures put in place will be sufficient to do the job we need”.

Sir Keir has also criticised Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak by saying that he had personally been resisting the circuit breaker lockdown.

“More people will lose their job, and the public finances will be worse than they needed to be.”

Referring to the news lockdown, Sir Keir Starmer said: “The impact on business – and jobs – will be severe.”

“Make no mistake, the Chancellor’s name is all over this. His decision to block a circuit breaker. To dismiss it as a “blunt instrument”.

“And to pretend that you can protect the economy without controlling the virus will now mean that businesses have to close for longer.”

“It makes me so angry. And so frustrated that when the British people – and British businesses – have given so much and made so many sacrifices they have been let down so badly by the Government.”

He continued by saying: “One of the things I’ve learnt from this crisis is that it exposes leadership and character like nothing else,” he told the CBI.”

“On both counts the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have failed. They failed to learn. They failed to listen. And they failed to lead.”

“The result is tragic – but all too predictable.”

This comes after the deaths of two young children, as well as two adults as they attempted to reach the United Kingdom in a migrant boat in the English Channel should be a “wake-up call” for politicians in both the UK and France, charity bosses have said.

The Labour leader told the CBI conference: “The Government was slow to act – again.

“But, it can’t now waste these four weeks. They must be used to fix Test, Trace and Isolate – and to give control to local authorities

“To get a grip on messaging and rebuild public trust. And to provide a clear and transparent road map to protect businesses and the NHS over the months to come.

“I know how difficult this next month will be, and the months to come.

“Now, more than ever, we need to stand together as a country, as families, and as communities.

“And to show – once again – that at a moment of national crisis, the British people always stand by those in need.”

On Monday, Jonathan Ashworth the Shadow Health Secretary told LBC said that the second lockdown for the country of England ‘should have come much sooner’ as the nation heads towards tough new COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

Chairman of the 1922 Committee of government backbenchers, Sir Graham Brady, warned that over 80 Conservative MPs could revolt against the new England-wide lockdown; mirroring the Tory rebellion over sweeping COVID-19 Act powers last month.

During the weekend Michael Gove refused to confirm whether or not the restrictions would be required to be extended past the December the 2nd deadline.