Sir Keir highlights the plight of an LBC listener at Prime Minister's Questions

11 November 2020, 12:44 | Updated: 11 November 2020, 13:04

Sir Keir Starmer mentions an LBC caller in the Commons

By EJ Ward

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer pledged to speak to the Chancellor after a question from an LBC listener but he ended up asking the Prime Minister.

Sir Keir Starmer pledged to ask the Chancellor a question which an LBC listener asked him during his regular monthly phone-in show, but he instead asked the Chancellor's boss the Prime Minister.

At the weekly Prime Minister's Questions exchange the Labour Leader highlighted the struggles of a an LBC listener, asking Boris Johnson: "What would the Prime Minister say to Chris and millions like him who are desperately waiting for the Chancellor to address this injustice?"

Mr Johnson replied in the Commons: "What I'd say to Chris and (Sir Keir) and to the whole country is the best way to get his job working again, the best way to get this country back on its feet, is to continue on the path that we are driving the virus down."

He said science has given the country "two big boxing gloves" via a possible vaccine and testing, adding: "Neither of them is capable of delivering a knock out blow on its own.

"That's why this country needs to continue to work hard to keep discipline and to observe the measures we've put in."

On Monday, Chris, a self-employed photographer from Dundee rang in to speak to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer during his regular monthly phone-in show on LBC.

He told Sir Keir he was "one of the three million excluded" and he had not been able to access financial support from the Government.

"Our particular industry has been devastated," the caller told LBC adding that "three million of us have fallen through the cracks."

Around three million taxpayers are reportedly excluded from the UK Government Covid-19 financial support schemes.

Starmer pledges to speak to Chancellor over 'excluded'

The caller asked the Labour leader if he would speak to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to "try and get something for us, our businesses are falling and crashing each day."

"Chris, I'll give you that commitment," was Sir Keir's instant response.

Pledging to speak to the Chancellor, the Labour leader said he will "do it again on the back of your call in this morning on LBC."

"To fall through the cracks back in March was bad enough, but to still not have the support you need is not acceptable."

Sir Keir said he would "take that away as a result of your phone call and redouble our efforts."

Starmer: Government have to do something about the excluded

Earlier when Nick Ferrari questioned the Opposition leader over the three million people who have been "left behind," Sir Keir said he could understand why they are "furious."

"You have got to deal with this gap and do something about it."

Sir Keir Starmer branded it "unforgivable" that there are around 3 million people excluded from Covid financial support.