'I didn't think we would win': Keir Starmer skewered by LBC listener over supporting Jeremy Corbyn

18 June 2024, 09:51 | Updated: 18 June 2024, 10:13

Sir Keir Starmer skewered by LBC caller over Jeremy Corbyn

By EJ Ward

This is the moment an LBC listener skewered Sir Keir Starmer over his support on Jeremy Corbyn.

The Labour leader was speaking to Nick Ferrari at Breakfast on LBC during a series of back-to-back phone-ins with the men who would be Britain's next Prime Minister.

Sir Keir joined Nick Ferrari this morning to face questions from the voting public and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be live on LBC tomorrow from 7am.

Graham in Bushey asked Sir Keir to give a "simple yes or no" answer "without the waffle about believing Labour wouldn't win."

"Had Labour won the election in 17 or 19, would you be happy to serve in Prime Minister Jeremy Corbyn's cabinet?"

Mr Starmer replied: "Well, I didn't think we'd win either of those. Graham. There's no getting away from that."

But, interrupting the caller again demanded a simple yes or no answer: "No, just a just a simple yes or no. you were part of the shadow cabinet, would you been happy to win, to serve in this cabinet if he won?"

"Graham, it's a pure hypothetical it didn't cross my mind because I didn't think we would win," the politician answered.

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But, Nick Ferrari interrupted asking why Mr Starmer would campaign for someone if they didn't think they would win.

Mr Starmer said he was not campaigning for a person but for a party. Saying: "Look, I campaigned for Labour because I've campaigned for Labour in every election and I wanted good colleagues to be returned."

Pointing out the LBC caller had a fair point, Nick asked had Labour won either of the 2017 or 2019 General Elections would Sir Keir Starmer have served in a Jeremy Corbyn cabinet.

"I don't think we were going to win. I don't think anybody thought we were going to win," he replied.

Refusing to be drawn the Labour leader said the question was "a hypothetical."

"I didn't think we would win. I did take a post. Look, I served for three years in the shadow Brexit role because I thought that was a very important issue for our country."

He reaffirmed as the UK went into the 2019 election he did not believe Labout could win.