By Keir Starmer: “I will do everything I can” to win back Grimsby seat
Amidst the ongoing wait for the Sue Gray report, Labour Leader Sir Keir Starmer travelled to Grimsby along with Levelling Up Shadow Minister Lisa Nandy to the infamous Docks Beers.
The pair met with local business and community leaders about working towards securing the town’s future through the governments proposed Levelling Up scheme.
We asked Sir Keir how can the public trust the government to follow through on levelling up plans when they can’t be trusted not to party during a global pandemic.
He replied: “The Prime Minister is a national distraction. Across the country, so many communties have got their idea, got their plans, they want to make something of their place. Grimsby is an example of that, they’re crying out for a government that matches their ambitions and at the moment the Prime Minister is completely distracted by allegation after allegation of what he got up to in Downing Street. It’s a complete distaction.”
When asked if the levelling up white paper, which details government plans and budgeting for the Levelling Up Scheme, will ever be published after multiple delays he said: “The government was elected in 2019 on this argument that it was gonna level up the country, it’s now 2022 so three years into the government and we haven’t even had a plan. I think that tells you everything you need to know about the governments real intent in relation to levelling up.
“If we’re going to allow communities and places to thrive – which we all want – we have to do that based on the plans, the ideas, the aspirations of the people in those places. I’ve been talking this morning to local leaders, community leaders, business leaders and the driving mechanisms of the area. They’ve got great ideas for Grimsby, they just want a government that matches that ambition and a Labour government will do that.”
Finally, we asked Sir Keir if he expects to win back the Grimsby seat at the next election, to which he stated that he will do “everything I can to do so”.
He added: “The way I do it is very important, which is to be in Grimsby, listening to people in Grimsby and have them share their ideas with me. I want to make it clear that the next Labour government will be a partnership with them to ensure that the plans I heard this morning actually come fruition. I’m really really pleased to be in Grimsby to make that argument.”
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