Boris Johnson accused Sir Keir Starmer of “bandwagoneering” at today’s PMQs, after the Labour leader put pressure on the PM to do more to support British businesses. The heated exchange comes amid reports that Starmer is being urged to reboot his faltering leadership with an “unashamedly pro-business” agenda.
After praising everyone involved in the “truly amazing” achievement of the vaccine rollout, Starmer pressed the PM for assurances that the Government would extend business rate relief, the furlough scheme and the evictions ban. He told the PM that he didn’t need to “leave everything to the eleventh minute”, adding that if he were Prime Minister, he would support business and protect jobs “now”.
Starmer had little luck drawing an answer from the PM, however, who told him to wait for the Budget and the roadmap out of lockdown, which he assured would be set out “in just a few days”. On evictions, Johnson said the Government would “put our arms around the British people” and “support them throughout the pandemic”.
