Starmer warns of ‘difficult choices’ over NHS, tuition fees and two-child benefit cap – UK politics live | Politics

Good morning. Keir Starmer has been giving interviews this morning, including on the Today programme. Labour is promising “change” but today Starmer seemed determined to temper expectations, repeatedly stressing that that there were things he would like to do in “an ideal world” which voters should not be expecting after 4 July.

When Starmer was running for the Labour leadership in 2020, he said he supported abolishing university tuition fees. On the Today programme, asked by Mishal Husain if he still believed in that, Starmer said he certainly wanted to change the current arrangements. He said since 2020 there had been “huge damage” to the economy. He said he thought the government could not afford to put more money into the NHS and to abolish tuition fees, and he had decided to not abolish tuition fees. People would understand this, he argued.

I came into politics, as you know, late. It’s actually how most people think, which is look, yes, in an ideal world I would like a number of things, but in the real world, I can’t have them all and I’ve got to make some difficult choices.

I’d rather make the choice now, this side of the election, than say something now in my heart of hearts which I know is not deliverable on the other side of the election.

Husain then asked if Starmer would scrap the two-child benefit cap if he secured economic growth (generating more revenue for the Treasury). Starmer replied:

Well, in an ideal world, of course, but we haven’t got the resources to do it at the moment.

Husain pressed him again. If Labour did secure the highest growth in the G7, as it is committed to doing, would the two-child benefit cap go? Starmer reverted to the same answer.

Well, in an ideal world, we’ll be able to do that. I’ll be clear, we want to grow the economy so we can absolutely put the money where it’s needed.

Husain asked at what point the world ever gets ideal. Starmer dodged the question, and instead talked about the “huge damage” done to the economy by Liz Truss.

Then Husain switched tack, asking about another policy, apparently shelved by Starmer, that does not cost much: abolition of the House of Lords. Starmer did not say this was an ideal world policy, and he said it was still something he would like to do, but he said it was not a priority. He went on:

I think one of the big mistakes that governments make is not to be clear enough in their project – what are the things that matter most that we’ve got to tackle first?

I will post more from this and from Starmer’s other interviews shortly. For much of the Today interview he sounded defensive and vulnerable, but his best moment came right at the end when Husain set him up for an open goal by asking if, on becoming PM, he would deliver a speech outside No 10 “rain or shine”. Starmer replied:

Yeah, absolutely, but I’ll tell you what – I will have an umbrella.

The image of a man who says ‘I’m the only one with a plan’ standing in the rain without an umbrella is, to put it politely, pretty farcical …

You can’t say ‘I’m a man with a plan’ and sit in the rain without an umbrella. I’m sorry, that just doesn’t stack up.

Here is the agenda for the day.

Morning: Rishi Sunak is on a visit in Northern Ireland. In the afternoon he will be in Staffordshire.

9.30am: MPs sit for the final day before the general election, where they are due to pass the victims and prisoners bill, and the leasehold and freehold reform bill. Peers are also sitting from 10am where they are due to approve a series of mostly minor bills.

10.30am: Keir Starmer is doing a campaign event in Scotland with Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader. At 4pm he will be in Lancashire, for an event related to the green prosperity plan.

Morning: Ed Davey, the Lib Dem leader, is on a campaign visit in Eastbourne.

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