Boris Johnson inflicted 'botched' deal on nation, says Keir Starmer who promises to negotiate better Brexit deal with EU

13 June 2024, 19:05 | Updated: 13 June 2024, 23:50

Boris Johnson "inflicted" a "botched deal" on the UK, Sir Keir Starmer has said, stating that he will negotiate a better deal with the EU if elected into power.

The Labour leader spoke to LBC's Andrew Marr on Thursday and was probed about the impact of the "unwanted spectre" Brexit on the British economy.

Sir Keir responded saying: "I think we could do better."

He added that a veterinary agreement "would make it much easier to trade".

"That would also lesser the tensions in relation to the situation with Northern Ireland," he said.

The Labour leader later said Boris Johnson and Liz Truss did "huge damage" to the UK's basic relations with EU partners.

Keir Starmer talks to Andrew Marr

Sir Keir also highlighted the prioritisation of growth in the party's new manifesto which was launched on Thursday.

"That's why what you seen in our manifesto today, as part of our growth plan, is a better deal with the EU," he said.

"That is an essential part of our growth plan to make trading easier, to ensure we can do some of the research and development that we need and the education, but also crucially in the area of defence and security."

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However the Labour leader also said "not all roads lead to a relationship with the EU".

"I think if you look at growth over the last 14 years, we flatlines on growth in the years before Brexit and therefore I've always thought it's a mistake to think the only impediment to growth is the relationship we have with the EU.

"If you look at planning - look at every single infrastructure project, whether that roads, rail, any infrastructure, they take years, they're delayed, they're overbudget - we have to change our planning regulations...not all roads lead to a relationship with the EU".

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Marr also probed Sir Keir on the behaviour of ministers while in goverment, following the revelation that Tory candidate Craig Williams placed a bet on the election.

He asked him: "How many strikes before a Labour minister who had misbehaved would be out?"

Sir Keir replied: "One strike and you're out.

"I know that I will be judged by my actions, not my words.

"When I said I would tear antisemitism out of the Labour party on day one as leader, people said I like your words, but I will be judging you by your actions.

"It's the same on trust in politics. I want to make sure that politics is something that is retuned to the service of the country. There's been far too much self-entitlement in the last 14 years.

"I intend to turn that around; I'll say that but I'll be judged by how I follow through on that.

"But if you look at my track record, I followed through on antisemitism, I followed through on the cultural change that we needed in our party."

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Marr also quizzed Sir Keir on a difficult question he recieved last night in the Battle for Number 10 debate.

One audience member accused him of being a "political robot" to which the Labour leader appeared stunned.

On Thursday, he told Marr: "I think any fair person would say, they may or may not have liked my answer last night, I was the opposite of robotic.

"I was going around the stage engaging with people. Again, actions not words. People will judge me by what they saw."

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