Sir Keir Starmer has given a speech after the announcement of a general election on July 4, promising to ‘stop chaos and start to rebuild Britain’.
The Labour leader has urged voters to cast their ballots for his party, citing ‘crumbling’ public services and other issues blamed on ’14 years under the Tories’.
He said: ‘Tonight, the Prime Minister has finally announced the next General Election, a moment the country needs and has been waiting for and where, by the force of our democracy, power returns to you.
‘A chance to change for the better your future, your community, your country. It will feel like a long campaign, I am sure of that, but no matter what else is said and done, that opportunity for change is what this election is about…
‘Look around our country. The sewage in our rivers. People waiting on trolleys in A&E. Crime virtually unpunished.
‘Mortgages and food prices – through the roof. It’s all – every bit of it – a direct result of the Tory chaos in Westminster.
‘On the fourth of July, you have the choice, together we can stop the chaos, turn the page and start to rebuild Britain.’
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Starmer’s remarks came on the tail of Rishi Sunak’s earlier announcement of a July 4 general election.
Outside a rainy Downing Street this evening, the prime minister talked over a speaker loudly playing Labour’s 1997 election anthem Things Can Only Get Better to describe his priorities ahead of a six-week campaign.
Sunak said: ‘This hard-earned economic stability was only ever meant to be the beginning, the question now is how and who do you trust to turn that foundation into a secure future for you, your family, and our country?
‘Now is the moment for Britain to choose its future, to decide whether we want to build on the progress we have made or risk going back to square one with no plan and no certainty.’
It has brought an end to a dizzying day of speculation and rumours in Westminster, fuelled by reports that ministers had been told attendance at this afternoon’s cabinet meeting was mandatory.
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