02 July 2024 , 15:12
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Keir Starmer has branded fake Tory claims about his work ethic as "laughably ridiculous".
The Labour leader, who had said he wished to spend Friday evenings with his family, faced a barrage of criticism from the Conservatives’ increasingly "desperate" campaign. One senior Tory even falsely claimed Mr Starmer had said he would work four days a week and be "finishing at six o’clock every evening" if he wins the keys to No10.
Speaking to Times Radio today, Mr Starmer said: "All I said was that on a Friday night, I tend to try and protect that time for my family. Of course, I’ve had to work Fridays in the past, I’ll work Fridays in the future. But it’s laughably ridiculous that this has become talked about by the Tories."
He added: "The only serious thing I can pull out of this ridiculous desperation on their part is that two days before an election they have got literally nothing positive to say to the country. I’ve spent the best part of six weeks saying they have governed chaotically, in a divided way, in a failed way - and now they are campaigning in exactly the same way they have governed. They are in this ridiculous spiral of desperation".
His remarks came after the Tory Health Minister Maria Caulfield was told she was peddling inaccurate claims after saying Mr Starmer had said "he’s going to be doing a four-day week and finishing at six o’clock every evening".
But the presenter Matt Barbet shot back, saying: "No, he didn’t say a four-day week. He said he was going to finish work at six on a Friday like many people do and I believe that’s to help his wife observe her Jewish faith which is commonplace among Jewish people. So not a four-day week - that’s not true."